Betrayal
by ziva2012
Summary: Will Sam be able to forgive Jack? Read what happens when Jack is forced to lie to his team and the woman he loves.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The eight men were talking and joking in the SGC locker room after a mission. Some were simply changing clothes before they left for home, while others like Col. Jack O'Neill were planning on showering first. SG's 1 and 3 had just come from their de-briefing with General Hammond and were in the locker room exchanging gossip and the usual male testosterone-driven banter, before heading home for four days of down time, when Jack and Daniel got the news.

"I guess you guys have already heard about Sam, right?" Ferretti asked. Jack didn't reply or even look up from unlacing his boots, but Daniel was quick to respond.

"Sam Carter? What about her?"

"She's coming back to the SGC," Captain Ferretti announced "And apparently it's Major Carter now."

"That's great news! Where did you hear it?" Dr. Daniel Jackson asked his teammate. At Jack's recommendation, Ferretti had been brought on board to fill Sam's place as his second-in-command on SG-1, and he had worked out nicely, Daniel had to admit. Although he did still miss Sam. She had been a joy to work with, always understanding of his non-military ways and willing to listen to his sometimes long-winded explanations. He'd often thought that his relationship with Jack would have been better by now, with her help. Unlike his cold relationship with Jack and Ferretti, Daniel had found a warm sort of kinship with Sam Carter, which even his growing friendship with Teal'c could not replace.

"I heard it from an old friend...a guy who works in personnel over at Peterson" he said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it toward the laundry hamper.

Captain Carter had been the fourth member of SG-1, until suddenly about a year before she had asked for and had received a transfer to another base. Even though she hadn't been on SG-1 for very long, Daniel had thought that Sam was fitting in nicely. But apparently she'd had misgivings about her ability to think like a soldier, instead of a scientist, or so she had told him. When Daniel had asked her for an explanation as to why she was leaving, all she would say was that maybe she wasn't cut out for anything but lab work. Daniel hadn't bought her excuse. But he understood that doubts about one's abilities in the field could lead to serious mistakes during missions. And even though he hadn't believed her, he had bid her good luck in her new assignment.

"You remember Duke, don't you Colonel?" the short, dark-haired man asked Jack.

"Who?"

"Duke, from Charlie company. He was in Nam with us," Ferretti said.

"Oh, yah, I remember him. Good guy. Got his legs blown off by a land mine one day."

"Yah, but he never let it get him down!" Ferretti remarked as he wrapped a towel around his waist. "Anyway, it was Duke who told me that when word first went out that General Hammond was looking to build the SGC's first off-world geek squad, Carter's CO recommended her for it. Word is that Hammond wanted her back pretty bad...bad enough to offer her a promotion and the lead position. Anyway, I'm kinda surprised you guys didn't already know. See you guys in a few!" he called back over his shoulder, as he strutted into the shower room.

Daniel glanced sideways at Jack, who was pulling on his civilian clothing. Apparently Jack had decided not to take a shower after all. Could it be that the conversation had upset him? If so, Daniel knew that Jack would never let on.

"So what do you think, Jack?" Daniel asked him, daring to walk through a field of land mines. He'd been down this road before and had always gotten blown up, so to speak. But he had continued to wonder why Jack had let Sam go so easily, and now it looked like she was coming back to the SGC. Had he thought she didn't fit in? But if that was the case, why hadn't Jack just said so? Why had he been so reluctant, combative even, rather than talk about her?

"About what, Daniel?" Jack asked, as he shoved his wallet into his back pocket. He grabbed his brown leather bomber-style jacket off the hook inside his locker, and Daniel knew he was risking injury again by asking, but he really wanted to know!

"About Sam coming back. Aren't you even the least bit interested or surprised?" Daniel had hoped for something to indicate how Jack felt about their ex-teammate, but Jack's answer left Daniel just as in the dark as he'd been for the past year.

"Nothing that woman does would surprise me," was all Jack said before he walked rapidly out of the locker room.

"I believe it would be best if you did not mention this subject to O'Neill again," Teal'c said, and then he too walked out of the room. Well, that had definitely done it! Now Daniel was certain that something had happened between Sam and Jack, and Teal'c probably knew what it was. And short of signing his own death warrant, he would risk quite a bit to know too.

Daniel sat down and began to put on his shoes, tugging too hard on the laces. One snapped in his fingers. "Damn!" As he began to pull it out, he worried about his teammate and how he would handle seeing Sam from time to time. After all, the base wasn't that large; they were sure to run into each other. He also worried about his relationship with Jack. Nothing ever changes with that man. Jack will never open up about his feelings, and he'll never really consider me his friend, Daniel thought with disappointment. Suddenly he was recalling the last day Sam had worked at the SGC.

SG-1 sat around the briefing room table after a particularly exhausting twenty-four hours off world. The mission had gone belly up, the team barely escaping with their lives. They had reported to Hammond. Well, Sam and Daniel had given a verbal report, while Teal'c had sat silently alongside his mentor, Col. Jack O'Neill. The two men were like bookends. Everyone could see that Jack was in a foul mood, and even General Hammond had decided to let the man be.

Daniel suspected it wasn't just a mission gone wrong that was bothering their team leader; it was something that had been festering for weeks, and he was certain it had something to do with Sam. But even though he felt there was something very wrong between Jack and his second-in-command, Daniel, fearing for his safety, had thus far stayed out of it.

And just when Daniel thought the day couldn't get any worse, Hammond made an announcement that turned a black day even blacker.

"Before I let you go, I have the unfortunate duty of bidding one of you good luck and good-bye. Captain Carter has put in for and received an assignment at Nellis. The transfer takes effect immediately. We will miss you around here, young lady. I insist that you keep in touch."

All eyes except for Jack's turned toward Sam, who kept her eyes on Hammond as she replied. "Thank you. I will. I promise," she said meekly.

Daniel watched as Jack's face turned dark crimson. Then he sprang out of his chair and almost ran out the door, as Hammond uttered the words, "You're dismissed". Teal'c followed Jack, while Hammond bowed his head and went straight to his office. Daniel stepped in front of Sam. He needed to speak to her or bust! Her news blind-sided him like nothing ever had. He thought they were a great team, so why on earth was she leaving!

"Sam, what the heck's going on? Why are you leaving?"

"I just don't think I'm cut out for this, Daniel. Shooting at innocent people is just not something I can live with," she said, referring to the events of earlier that day. He certainly had to agree with her, but still he felt there was more to this than she was telling him.

"What about Jack? He's come to depend on you. We all have."

"You will all be just fine without me," she replied. "I've got to pack now," she said, and then she side-stepped around him and was gone, leaving Daniel standing there with his mouth open.

Daniel could barely believe that a whole year had passed since Sam had left the SGC, and now she was coming back. He was happy about her promotion and that she would be working at the SGC again, but a part of him was also very worried.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Daniel had heard from Sam only twice in the past twelve months, and both of those times had been during the first eight weeks after her transfer. She had told him she was settling in and that she enjoyed what she was doing there, which for the most part was highly classified. Daniel suspected she was actually working at Area 51, but he didn't ask. He had written her several more times, but he had only received one response in the form of a Christmas card. And gradually, because of his hectic schedule, the months had passed, and before he knew it an entire year had gone by. And now she was coming back!

'Well,' Daniel thought to himself as he walked to his office, 'Jack may not be happy to see her, but I sure will be! I just hope this turns out to be a good thing...for all of us.'

Jack O'Neill got into his truck feeling like he'd been kicked in the stomach. He really hoped that Duke had heard wrong. Surely Carter wouldn't come back here, not after what had happened! He knew Carter held herself totally responsible for what had happened between the two of them. And no matter how much he had tried to reason with her...to tell her they could go on working together, if she'd just keep her cool...she had gone behind his back and had put in for the transfer. As for that second time, he had no idea why she'd done it. As he drove home he thought about the last time he had seen her.

Hammond had just announced that Sam was leaving, and Jack had come unglued. And when she got to her quarters, he was waiting there waiting for her.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" she asked, when she saw him standing in her room. He reached out with one long arm and pushed the door shut with a bang, and then they both heard the automatic lock click into place. Even with all her hand-to-hand training, Sam still flinched at the sound and at the look on his face. She could see how angry he was, and it scared her.

"Sam what the hell are you trying to pull? What the fuck do you think you're doing! You can't throw this all away! You can't leave the SGC! You'd be giving up a premier assignment that other folks would kill to have, and for what? It was only one moment of weakness, fer cryin out loud! You know I would never tell anyone," he insisted, reaching out to her with both hands. Sam backed away.

"No, of course you wouldn't. You don't even remember it. But I do! In fact, I can't get it out of my mind! The memory of it is tormenting me. I can't work, I can't sleep! I simply can't go on working here with you like nothing has happened."

"No one's asking you to! And did you ever think that maybe you can't forget, because you don't want to?" he suggested as he took another step toward her, his hands outstretched in a calming gesture. He didn't want to lose her, not on his team and not in his life. He had been attracted to her from that first day in the briefing room, and he still hoped they could hook up.

"Look, Sam, I know how you feel about me. I like you too...a lot! Why can't you just enjoy this attraction we have for one another, instead of going off half cocked? No one needs to find out, Sam, and we can have it all," he pleaded, trying to make her see his point of view. The sharp sting he felt as she slapped his face only made him more determined to know the truth.

"You'd really like that, wouldn't you? …to have me conveniently nearby, whenever you wanted a little nookie. No thanks, SIR! I've got more pride than to let you use me for your pleasure and entertainment!" she cried, pushing his hands away. But he grabbed her wrists and held on, bringing her hands up, to hold them, fisted against his chest.

"Sam...Sam, look, that's not what I meant," he told her. Although the idea did have its appeal, he wasn't so jaded as to think that she, or any woman, would accept that sort of arrangement. He really wished he could remember what had happened between the two of them, but he'd been too out of it, what with the broken leg and the concussion and all, and his memory was just a blur. Sure, he could recall bits and pieces of what had happened in that freezing death trap, but none of it involved his 2iC practically raping him!

"We both know we've been attracted to each other from the get-go, but I respect you. I would never expect you to do anything you didn't want to do. With our jobs taking so much of our time and being so hush-hush and all, where are we gonna find someone who understands? Admit it, Sam; we could be perfect together," he said as he released her hands. She didn't move, so he stroked her face with his fingers. "I wish I could remember what happened, honey. More than anything! Maybe you could show me?"

"You've got to be kidding!"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" he asked as he looked down to where his swelling cock was pressing against his pants. Sam looked down and her eyes grew wide. "Have mercy on me, Sam," he begged softly, and when she didn't scream or knee him in the balls, he continued.

"Show me how you made love to me that day in that damned ice cave, Carter," he begged, as he backed her against the wall, pinning her there with his body. He knew she could feel his erection laying hot and heavy between them, and it was all he could do not to rip her clothes off and take her right there! But he really did want her to show him what she'd done to him that day. He'd been delirious and out of his head with the pain, but now he was clear-headed. He'd remember this day for as long as he lived, if she would just show him.

Her palms were pressing against his T-shirt-covered chest, the front of this BDU shirt hanging open. He could feel her body trembling. Was it from anger or something else? He lowered his face, inhaling the scent of her hair, before covering her face in kisses. Then he trapped her mouth with his, his tongue slicking over her bottom lip before attempting to push inside.

At first Sam resisted, but gradually her lips parted and let him in. And when his arms encircled her body, and his hands caressed her ass and hips, Sam moaned, her sweet breath filling his mouth as she exhaled one single word, "Yesssss."

"Show me, Sam! Show me exactly what you did that day. I want to know! I want to remember! Come here," he said softly as he led her to the bed. He sat down, praying she wouldn't bolt out the door, but Sam just stood there by his side, as he dropped his boots to the floor and scooted over to lay in the middle of the bed. Then he reached out to her.

"Come on, Sam, show me. I was laying on that cold ground. I thought we were both gonna die down there. And what did you do? Show me! Do it now, Captain!" he said in a commanding tone of voice. Sam climbed onto the bed and sat on her knees, next to his hips. With shaking hands she unfastened his blue BDU pants and opened the fly. Then, reaching in with gentle fingers, she pulled his erection out of his gray Jockie shorts. And then she stopped.

She was hesitating, and Jack didn't want to give her time to change her mind. "Go on, Sam, do it," he encouraged, and Sam bent over and took the head of his cock into her mouth, laving it with her warm, wet tongue. "That's it, baby, suck me!" he urged her, as his hips began to lift toward her, his fingers raking through her short, blonde hair. Sam sucked more of him into her mouth, until Jack could feel his cock touching the back of her throat. Sam choked a bit and let him slip from her mouth, obviously overcome by his size. And although he had his hands on her head, he didn't try to hold her down.

When she looked at him, her big blue eyes half closed, he used his thumb to wipe away the spit at the corner of her mouth. "I'm probably bigger this time. It's a wonder I could get it up at all that day, considering the condition I was in," he told her. "Now show me what you did next. You know you want to, honey. Please don't leave without at least giving me this to remember you by," he begged sincerely.

Sam moved like she was in a trance, not allowing herself time to think. Thinking was not something she could afford to do, not when this would be her last chance to give the man she loved what he wanted. She knew it was wrong, but her desire to satisfy him was ruling her head right now, just as her desire to satisfy herself had ruled her head that day in the ice cave.

Sam turned around and sat down on the bed. She pulled off her boots, and her pants and panties followed. Then she got up on her knees again, this time straddling his thighs.

Jack's hands went to Sam's hips, but he didn't try to move her or guide her actions. He wanted her to be in charge, just like she had been that day the gate malfunctioned, sending them tumbling through Earth's other stargate. And so he didn't make any attempt to take off her shirt, or touch her breasts, or do anything that might cause her to bolt. He just watched her, his dark eyes memorizing the face of the beautiful woman kneeling over him.

Sam looked down at Jack's cock and wrapped a trembling hand around it. Then she smoothed her fingers up and down the shaft. She seemed to be studying it, as though really seeing it for the first time. Meanwhile, he watched her, holding his breath as she moved forward to guide his erection through her glistening curls. Then she was pushing his throbbing shaft inside her. The large head popped past her entrance, and the sudden snug feeling made Jack gasp. It felt awesome, and he wanted more! But she seemed to be moving in slow motion, and Jack could wait no longer for her to take him completely.

"Come on, baby, take all of me," he urged, as his balls began to ache for completion. Sam lowered her hips, and Jack watched, mesmerized as his cock disappeared completely. She was able to take all of him, which was something not many women could do. "Sam! Oh, Christ, yes!" he shouted, as he felt himself being surrounded by her, like a warm tender caress. And then her velvet grip on him tightened, and she began to move, rocking her hips backward and forward. Jack's body responded in kind, his hips lifting in time with hers, and in no time at all they had created a rhythm which had them both spiraling out of control.

With gyrations and moves that surprised him, Sam rode him like a champion bull rider, but she never looked at his face…not once. And after he came she quickly dismounted, grabbed her clothes from the floor and told him to get out. Then without another word she ducked into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door.

It had been one whole year since he'd seen Carter, since their second time together, and Jack wondered who she blamed more, herself or him. He really didn't know why she'd had sex with him there in her quarters that day. Did she really do it just for him, so he'd have the memory of it? Or did she do it to satisfy her own needs…sort of like a prisoner's last meal before execution? He knew how straight-arrow she was when it came to her career. Had she contemplated resigning from the Air Force because of their indiscretion? Had she considered reporting them both? And if so, what had stopped her?

Jack didn't know what the truth was, but he wanted to know. He supposed that once she was back at the SGC, he could ask her. But then he thought, even if I know the answers, what good would that do? They were still basically strangers who had acted on impulse. Whatever those impulses had caused to happen, they really didn't know each other at all.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Samantha Carter sat on the floor of the house she had just rented in Colorado Springs. It was a nice house, much nicer than the base housing where she had lived for the past year. It had a garage off the alley, and a small yard where she hoped to plant a flower garden and maybe some vegetables one day, if she ever found the time. She knew that with her new duties as a team leader, she would be pretty busy. And then of course there was her personal life, which deserved even more time and attention than it ever had.

As she opened yet another box, and began removing the contents, she thought back on the past year and how far she had come as an individual. She had learned a lot from her experiences, both at the SGC and at Nellis and Area 51, and she hoped those experiences would aid her in making a life for herself here. Coming back to the SGC probably wasn't very smart on one level, but the opportunity to head her own off-world team, and to work mainly with scientists like herself...not to mention her promotion...had convinced her to take the chance.

She had been able to put the two incidents out of her mind, for the most part. And even though distancing herself from Jack had probably been key to doing that, she believed that she could continue to keep him at a distance...or at least put her relationship with him into perspective. Clearly she had been nothing but a fling to him, an animal attraction, and that was what she convinced herself he was to her. Jack was nothing more than an attractive man who was out to have a good time, and that's all he would ever be! As long as she remembered that, she would be just fine.

Just then she heard the front door open. She looked up from her seat on the living room floor and watched as a baby stroller made its way into the small foyer. It was being pushed by Dr. Janet Frasier, the base's CMO, and Sam's old friend.

"That didn't take you long!" Sam exclaimed, seeing that the back of the stroller was filled with shopping bags. She could also smell FOOD! French fries, to be exact. She quickly rose from the floor and hurried to lift the tiny baby from the seat, carrying her on one arm, while balancing a sack of groceries on the other.

"I would like you to know that I can be a quick and efficient shopper, particularly when I'm spending someone else's money," Janet said with a smirk. "I got you a cheeseburger and fries from Mickey D's. I hope that's okay," she said apologetically as she sat a second grocery bag on the kitchen counter.

"Better than okay!" Sam called out to her, as Janet went back to the foyer to fetch the sack that contained their lunches. When she returned to the kitchen Sam was sitting on one of the four chairs at the kitchen table, with the infant laying along her thighs while she removed the child's outdoor clothing. She took off the pink, crocheted bonnet last, the one her Aunt Mary had made, and then bent over to give the baby's head a quick fondle and kiss, ruffling the child's golden brown curls. Then she bent down again and inhaled the baby's sweet scent, thinking how amazing she was. Being totally responsible for this little person's welfare was the most daunting task she'd ever encountered, but she had to admit she was loving it.

Sam had never really thought about having children, and then one day...BOOM!...she was pregnant! And needless to say, she had been scared to death. Sam had known nothing about taking care of a baby, let alone raising one all by herself. At least she had found a friend at Nellis, who just happened to be an old friend of Janet Frasier's. Dr. Major Cynthia Shepherd, had been married and was now raising three kids on her own, and she had been as supportive and as helpful as Janet would have been in her place.

Now Sam felt fairly confident as a mother, and she couldn't imagine living even one day without her daughter, Amy. Actually, the baby's name was Naomi, after Sam's Swedish grandmother, but she usually just called her Amy. Her middle name was Nicole, which was simply a name that Sam liked very much.

Janet watched as Sam put Amy into her wind-up swing, and gave the crank three turns, before coming back to join Janet at the table. They ate quietly for a few minutes, while Janet thought about something that had been bothering her for quite a while. Even though she had known about Sam's pregnancy since Sam's first trimester, she still didn't know who the father was. She had always figured it had to be someone Sam met at Nellis. Since it was Sam's habit to spend most of her time on the job, where else would she have met someone? Janet studied her friends face. Maybe Sam would tell her now that they were no longer in Nevada? But how to approach the subject was the question.

"I know it's none of my business, but do you think it's fair to take her away from her father?" Janet asked. She watched Sam's face turn pink, and Janet worried that she might have made Sam angry.

"I'm not taking her away from him. He doesn't even know about her," Sam replied, and then she held her breath, hoping Janet would drop the subject. She prayed her old friend wouldn't ask her point blank who Amy's father was, because she didn't want to lie to Janet. No one, not even Amy's pediatrician in Nevada, knew who the father was, although she did know that the baby had been conceived the same month that Sam had begun her new assignment.

Many people at Nellis probably suspected that the father was one very handsome flyboy named John Shepherd. John was Cynthia's ex-husband, and he was a notorious philanderer. One day Cynthia had come right out and asked Sam if John was Amy's father. Sam couldn't really blame her. He had been all over Sam that first month, asking her out two or three times and sitting with her almost every day in the mess hall. Everyone had noticed. He had pursued Sam relentlessly at first, but she had finally convinced him that she wasn't interested. Actually, he had guessed that there was someone else, and she hadn't denied it.

"Hey! Sam! Earth to Sam!" Janet called out, snapping her fingers in front of Sam's face.

"OH! Sorry, I guess I zoned out there for a minute. I'm kind of tired," she admitted.

"When did you last get eight hours of sleep?" Janet asked, always alert for signs that her patients, and friends as well, weren't taking proper care of themselves. Now that she thought about it, Sam did look a bit peaked, but of course a new baby and moving would do that to anyone.

"Eh, I'm not sure. I'm usually up with Amy a couple of times during the night. I'm still breast feeding, although that will have to end as soon as I go back to work," she said, looking wistfully at her sleeping infant. She loved breast feeding. Those times were very special, and she would miss them. But soon there would be no way she could continue to do it. In fact, she planned to begin giving Amy formula this weekend. She told Janet as much and was surprised by her response.

"No, don't do that! Just bring her to the day care center."

"What day care center?" Sam asked as she got up to check on Amy, who was beginning to fret.

"Didn't General Hammond tell you?" Janet asked. Sam simply shook her head, as she lifted the baby out of the swing. "I swear, it's just like a man to forget to tell you something that has to do with anything other than their planes or their big guns," she said with a laugh. "I started a nursery last year. It's for infants and children up to the age of twenty-four months. Any older than that and they need a play yard, which of course we don't have."

Sam thought the idea was great, but she intended to get a nanny for Amy. "Surely you don't have time to run it?" she asked as she bared her left breast. But Amy wasn't interested. All she wanted to do was stare at Janet, her new best friend.

"No, not me. You remember Nurse Johnson? Stacy Johnson?"

"I think so. Wasn't she the one who was on SG-3 for a few months?"

"Yes, until she found out she was pregnant. After she had her baby, she was eager to get back to work, but she also wanted to continue breast feeding. So she and I worked out a plan. Stacy's in charge, but mostly the mothers run it themselves. You remember those three empty rooms on level ten, across from communications?" Sam nodded, and Janet continued. "Well, they turned out to be the perfect place for a nursery. We got permission from Hammond to remove the walls separating them. Stacy's husband and Sergeant Siler did all the work. Before it was even finished, three more women said they were interested in participating. They brought in toys for the kids to share, and they offered to take turns watching each other's children. Oh, and thanks to General Hammond, the Joint Chiefs authorized a small budget for supplies and equipment."

"Janet, that's wonderful! But I don't think it's the right place for Amy."

"Why on earth not?"

"I worry about her being around other children," she answered falsely. She hated lying to her best friend, but she felt she had no choice. "I'd really feel better if she was here at home with a sitter. I've already placed an ad in the paper for a nanny," Sam said as she bounced the baby on her knee. She couldn't look at Janet, so she kept her eyes on the back of Amy's head.

"I know she was premature, Sam, but she's fine now. And there's no reason to think she won't continue to be." Janet had examined Amy when they arrived in Colorado Springs five days earlier, and as far as she could tell the baby was in perfect health. But she knew that first time mother's could be overly cautious. "Besides, you can't shield her from germs for the rest of her life, you know."

"I know, Janet." Although the idea frightened her, Sam knew that in many ways the nursery would be the best thing for both her and Amy. She would be working long hours, and sometimes it would be difficult to find the time to go home. This way she could be with Amy as much as possible.

"Why don't you try it for a while," Janet suggested.

"Oh, alright. Did you hear that, honey? You're going to work with Mommy!" she said cheerfully, as she got up to take Amy to her new room. Sam felt excited. So much was happening in her life! And she had to admit that most of it was good…very good!

Janet followed Sam into the baby's room where she began looking at some of the presents Sam's friends at Area 51 and at Nellis had given her and Amy. One box containing a Hokey Pokey Elmo attracted Janet's attention.

"Oh, I saw these things on TV! They're so cute!" Janet couldn't help but notice the card inside the box. Curious, she took a quick peek. It read, "To a real cutie. The kid's not bad looking either. Love, John." Janet figured it was from John Shepherd, that bastard who had broken Cynthia's heart. Surely Sam hadn't gotten involved with him!

"Yes, it is cute, but it's also a little old for Amy. She has so many toys. I'll probably just donate some of the gifts to the day care center," Sam told her as worked Amy's tiny legs and arms into clean PJ's. Once she was fed, Amy would probably sleep till dinner time. Maybe while Amy slept she'd take a nap.

Sam yawned as Janet put on her jacket and slung her purse over her shoulder. Janet was tired too, but she still had to attend a meeting on base and check on Sergeant Siler, who had burned his hand while putting in an electrical outlet in the nursery.

"You get some rest now. Oh! I almost forgot. Tomorrow night some of us are going to O'Malley's for dinner. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Janet, how can I? What about Amy?" Sam asked as she sat down on her bed and kicked off her shoes. She actually thought an evening out sounded like fun, which was something she hadn't had in a very long time. But it didn't matter. Amy had to come first. With Amy in one arm, Sam scooted back until she was leaning against the pillows.

"One of my nurses, Catherine Meadows, lives just up the street. She has a teenage daughter, Meredith, who baby sits a lot. I'll phone her and make the arrangements. I can bring Meredith with me when I pick you up."

"Well, I guess I can't refuse then, can I?" Sam said as she held Amy to her breast. The baby latched on and began sucking loudly. She and Janet both smiled.

"Nope! See you tomorrow night at seven! And wear something sexy!" Janet added with a wink.

"Janet, I gave birth three months ago. I don't do sexy."

"Nonsense!"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm still carrying around an extra ten pounds in my tummy and boobs, and my hair is suffering from post partum depression or something," she said with a derisive laugh. Her hair was a lot longer than it had been when she was on SG-1, and she figured she'd need to cut it soon. Working long hours, and taking trips through the stargate two or three times per week, even if it was only to collect samples, wouldn't leave much time for primping in front of a mirror.

"Oh, pooh! You look great! I like your hair that length, so don't you even think about cutting it, you hear?" Janet told her.

"I was thinking about it," Sam admitted. "But maybe I won't, if you think it looks okay." She'd been wearing it in a braid for months. Maybe she could manage to keep it that way, as long as she pinned it out of the way when she went off-world.

"It looks much more feminine than the way you used to wear it. I can't wait till Jack sees it," she said as she swept out of the room. "Don't get up! I'll lock the door on my way out!" Janet called out, and then she was gone.

Sam frowned. "I hope I've made a good decision by coming back here, pumpkin," she told her daughter. When Sam looked down, she saw that Amy was already nodding off.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

After changing clothes six times, Sam had decided to phone Janet and tell her she wasn't going. Everything she tried on was too tight on top. She tried Janet's phone number several times, but each time the line was busy. Just then the door bell rang. Figuring that Janet was a little early…she probably wanted to give Meredith time to meet her and Amy…Sam put a robe on over her underwear. Intending to give the girl a little something to make up for losing the baby sitting job, she grabbed her purse and hurried to the door. But when she opened the door, she got a surprise.

"Hey, Sam! Long time no see!" Daniel said cheerfully.

"Daniel! You're not Janet," she said stupidly, and Daniel laughed.

"No, I'm not. She's running late and will have to meet us at O'Malley's. She tried to phone you, but your line was busy. So she sent me to pick you up. She asked me to tell you that Meredith will be here by 7:15. She had band practice. Uh…I have no idea why Meredith needs to be here before we can leave, or even who Meredith is," he said with a confused frown, and then he looked down at Sam's robe. "You aren't planning to go out like that, are you?"

"Oh! No! Eh…actually I've decided not to go."

"Oh? Is something wrong?" He was trying not to look below her face, but the robe was gaping open, and he couldn't help but notice that Sam seemed to be a lot bustier than he remembered…not that he'd often thought about her breasts. He'd always thought of Sam as a sister, but he was only human.

Sam noticed Daniel's eyes straying from her face down to her chest, and quickly grabbed the front of her robe, holding it shut. "No. I'm just not in the mood to go out tonight, that's all. Tell Janet I'm sorry," she said.

Just then Amy began to cry. And it wasn't just a little whimper; it was an ear-splitting wail.

"OH! I have to get that!" Sam said hurriedly, and then she turned and ran for the bedroom.

"I'll just let myself out," Daniel said to her departing back. But he suspected she hadn't even heard him. "Or not," he added quietly, as he followed Sam down the short hallway. Then he watched in confused awe as Sam bent over a baby bed and picked up the crying infant. She put the fretful baby up to her shoulder, and almost immediately the child stopped crying.

"Sam? Whose baby is that?" Daniel asked quietly from the doorway. For a couple of minutes Sam stood there, swaying back and forth and crooning to the tiny baby, while Daniel watched. Then Sam gently lowered the child to the mattress and covered it with a blanket. Sam left the room quietly, and Daniel followed her back into the kitchen. "Sam, what's going on? Who does that baby belong to?" he asked again.

"She's mine. She's the reason Meredith is coming over here...to baby sit," Sam explained.

"Oh! Wow! I had no idea! A baby! Wow!" He wanted to ask her so many questions, but all of them seemed like he would be prying. And so he didn't ask anything, hoping that Sam would tell him what he wanted to know. He wasn't disappointed.

"Please sit down." Daniel perched on the arm of the living room sofa, while Sam remained standing near the doorway. Daniel could tell that she was uncomfortable talking about the baby. It had been a long time since they'd talked, but he hoped they could be as close as they once were.

"I had Amy in Nevada, while I was working at Nellis," she said simply.

It didn't answer all of Daniel's questions, but he didn't want to pry. He wanted Sam to tell him on her own. "Wow, your life really has changed since I saw you last," he remarked, and Sam nodded.

"Yes, it certainly has. I never thought about having children, but now I can't imagine not having her." The door bell rang. "That must be Meredith."

Sam let the girl in and was about to tell her that she wasn't needed after all, when Daniel stopped her.

"Sam, please come! I haven't seen you in such a long time. Remember what fun we used to have? A lot of the old gang will be there. You remember Kawalski and Ferretti, and Sergeant Simmons, and Walter. Oh, and Jack and Teal'c of course!" For some reason Sam was surprised to hear that Jack would be joining them. Maybe it was because when she'd known him, he had never gone to any of their gatherings. But she hadn't really known him long. Plus, a lot of things, including people, could change in one year; she was living proof of that!

"Okay. I'll go. But I won't stay very late. Just give me a few minutes to show Meredith where everything is. Oh, and I guess I'd better put some clothes on too!" she laughed, and then she ushered the girl down the hallway to the bedroom.

Sam put on a skirt and blouse...the two things that seemed to make her look the least like a cow, watching while the teenager changed Amy's diaper. After giving the girl a quick run-down on where to find things and how to reach her, Sam grabbed her denim jacket and her purse and joined Daniel in the living room.

"Okay, I'm as ready as I'm gonna be!" It seemed a little strange to be going out without a diaper bag in one hand and a baby in the other arm, but it was also nice for a change. Daniel drove, and it wasn't long before they were pulling into a crowded parking lot.

"It looks like this is still the place to be on a Friday night," she remarked, and Daniel smiled.

"I'll say! I just hope they've saved room for us." The group from the SGC was in the back room, as usual, and there was just barely room for the two of them to squeeze into one of the three booths that they were occupying. Daniel slid into the middle booth next to Janet, who had obviously saved him a spot. Teal'c was next to Janet, and a nurse that Sam recognized, was sitting on the other side of him. Janet yelled a welcome to Sam, and the nurse scooted over toward Teal'c, leaving just enough space for Sam to sit down.

Several people in the other booths, including Kawalsky and Ferretti, called out 'hello, hey' and other welcoming greetings to Sam, and once she had ordered a beer and had a few sips, she began to feel much more comfortable and relaxed. She knew or had seen most of these people before, and she had to admit it was good to be back in the fold again. The one person she hadn't seen was Jack. But soon he came strutting up to the booth holding a fistful of cash. He was also carrying a pool cue in a leather bag, so apparently he had just won the money playing pool.

"Hey, you stole my place!" Jack complained, staring at her with ebony eyes. Sam blushed and slid out of the booth, mumbling an apology. Jack leaned over her to place his cue on the ledge behind the seat, while Sam tried to duck out of the way.

"Hey, maybe now you can give me back that fifty you owe me!" Ferretti shouted at him.

"Maybe, if I have anything left by the time the night is over," Jack said as he slid into the booth. He stuffed the wad of bills into his shirt pocket, while Sam just stood there feeling awkward and out of place. Jack surprised her by grabbing her arm and pulling her over to sit on his thigh. "We can share the seat, Carter," he said, and several people whistled and shouted suggestive comments. Sam felt herself blush and wished she could crawl under the table, instead of being the center of attention.

"No, I really shouldn't," she said quietly, but he put his arm around her waist and held her there. And since she couldn't get up without making a scene...which was definitely something she didn't want to do…she stayed put.

Suddenly a waitress was standing next to her, and everyone was placing their orders. Sam was too nervous to eat, but she ordered a burger anyway. When she ordered, several people made comments about the fact that she was the only one who wasn't having a steak. "I'm not that hungry."

"I bet she's afraid of getting fat," Charlie Kawalsky said loud enough for everyone to hear. He and Ferretti looked at each other and snickered like a couple of school boys.

"Naw, not Carter," Jack said, looking her up and down.

"I have put on a few pounds, Sir."

Jack put his mouth to her ear. "I'd say you look pretty damned good. Actually, I always thought you were a little too skinny before, but you've filled out nicely," he told her quietly.

Sam's tummy did a little flip-flop. She looked at Janet, who was watching her and Jack and their little exchanges. Janet winked, and Sam couldn't help but smile.

Jack had always had a way of making her feel very feminine and pretty, even when she looked her worst...even when she was in sweaty BDU's...mud splattered and caked with dried blood! "Thank you," Sam murmured, a little shiver running up her spine. With his masculine scent, his deep voice and his teasing way of brushing his lips against her ear as he spoke to her, she could feel him getting under her skin, just like he had when she'd first met him. It scared her, but it also excited her! Did she dare let herself become involved with him again?

As the conversation flowed around her, Sam's mind began to drift to the events of almost fourteen months previous. The members of SG-1 had gated home after a fairly uneventful mission. But on the way back something had gone horribly wrong, and she and the Colonel had been sent through the gate in Antarctica. But they didn't know where they were or where Teal'c and Daniel were. All Sam knew was that the Colonel was seriously injured, and she had no idea how to get them back home. After long, fruitless hours of trying to fix the DHD, she had finally given up and had joined Jack in his bed on the ice, where she tried desperately to keep him warm. Sam had thrown one leg and arm over him, frantically trying to warm his body with her own. And that was when, to her shock, she had felt his erection pressing into her hip. He had been out of it...deliriously calling out for someone named Sara. She didn't know who Sara was, but she did know one thing; if they were gonna die in that awful place, she didn't want her life to end without having made love to Jack!

She had been seriously attracted to him since the first day she had met him. He had been so handsome in his dress blues with all the medals on his chest. She wanted him badly, and now this was her last chance to have him...or so she thought. And so she had unzipped his pants and reached inside his underwear, clasping his swelling cock with her trembling fingers. She had sucked him into her warm mouth, working him with her tongue and lips until he was hard. And then she had quickly disrobed from the waist down and had plunged down on him, taking all of him at once. Their first time together hadn't lasted very long, but to Sam it had been wonderful...like a dream come true! It was only after he recovered from his ordeal, and she was visiting him in the infirmary one morning, that she learned he didn't remember what had happened between them. Hoping that he might feel the same way about her, she had told him what they had done. He had been surprised certainly, but other than that, he hadn't reacted as she'd expected. And then she had begun to feel guilty. She had thrown her honor away, and for what...who? For someone who obviously didn't care for her the way that she cared for him, and someone she still couldn't get out of her heart and her mind. She had panicked. She thought if she stayed around him, she would surely ruin her career, and so she had run away.

Sam was startled back to the present by loud laughter from Jack and the others. Apparently someone had told a joke. Sam smiled, although she had no idea what had been said. And she still wasn't sure what to do about this handsome man who was currently holding her on his knee. It was very obvious that he was still interested in her, and she knew she still felt the same way about him. But she had learned to be cautious. It wasn't just her future that was at stake here. Had he changed? Did he now want something more than just a sweet lay? Was he ready to settle down with one woman, or was he the same old Jack?

While she was finding out what Jack's intentions were, she guessed it wouldn't hurt to enjoy a little of what she'd been missing...just as long as she was careful.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Twenty members of the SGC were stuffed into three big booths in the back room of O'Malley's Bar and Grill, and while they waited for their food, several of them got up to dance or to play pool and darts. When Teal'c and his date left their booth, Jack put his hands on Sam's waist and lifted her a bit, as he slid out from under her. Then he stretched his long legs, obviously trying to get rid of the cramp she'd inadvertently caused.

Sam was aware of what he was doing and apologized. "I'm sorry you were so uncomfortable. I should have sat someplace else."

She had arrived late, and Jack had offered to let her sit on his knee. She had been embarrassed, but Jack didn't seem to feel awkward about it at all, which made Sam wonder about something. Were his friends and co-workers used to seeing Jack with a woman sitting on his lap? If it hadn't been her, would it have been someone else...say Judy Davis, one of Janet's nurses who kept watching him from the other booth...or Helen Matthews, the Tech. Sgt. on SG-15? She certainly had the figure to attract an alpha male like Jack, and Sam had noticed her looking at him from under those obviously fake eyelashes. But besides being a bit embarrassed, Sam was feeling a little smug just now, because Jack was sitting with her and not them. They hadn't been sitting on his knee, and he wasn't whispering silly snippets of conversation in their ears! No siree! His comments had been all for her!

"Don't be silly! We certainly know each other well enough for you to sit on my lap," he stated, "and besides you're no longer in my chain of command," he finished, and Sam looked at him as though he'd just said Hammond was gay.

"You're still Hammond's 2iC, aren't you?"

"Nope, as a matter of fact, I'm not. Oh, don't tell me you haven't read the two hundred or so pages of orientation crap they gave you yet? The position was taken away from me some months ago, for 'conduct unbecoming an officer' they said."

"Oh! What did you do?" Sam asked him, reprimanding herself for the second time for not reading all of that packet. She had better do it soon, before General Hammond found her out!

"I got into a fight on base. It was right after you left. In fact, the fight was about you," he said, and Sam's face blanched white.

"About me! You're kidding, right?" Sam caught Janet's eye, and she nodded just slightly, hoping Jack wouldn't notice and realize she was eavesdropping.

"Janet knows all about it, don't 'cha? In fact she's the one who patched me and Danny boy up," he said as he tipped his beer bottle back, staring at Daniel as he downed several ounces of the amber liquid.

"You and Daniel? You and Daniel fought because of me?" Sam asked, almost choking on her beer.

"Come on, Jack, let's not talk about it. It's water under the bridge," Daniel said, looking from Sam to Jack and back again. Why did Jack always have to dwell on the bad things in his life? Why couldn't he just forget and move on?

"No, Daniel, I think Sam has a right to know. You see, Sam, Daniel wanted to know why you put in for a transfer. For some reason, he blamed your decision to leave entirely on me."

"Okay, Jack. Now she knows, so just let it go, won't you?" Janet asked him politely.

"I still think it was your fault, Jack," Daniel said, his blue eyes looking like cold steel.

"Daniel!" Janet almost shouted at him. He looked at her, and his expression softened as she put her hand on his arm.

"Maybe we should ask Sam? Only she knows the truth. How about it, Sam?" Jack asked her. Sam's stomach, which had been feeling like there were a hundred butterflies in it, now felt like those butterflies had changed into bees!

"You're wrong," Sam stated. "My leaving had nothing to do with Jack. I simply didn't feel up to the military part of it...the killing and being shot at all the time. And so I went someplace where I could do what I love the most...research," she told them all, her eyes pleading with Janet's for help.

"There! You've got your answer! Now leave the girl alone, you two!" Janet said on her behalf. Both men let the subject drop and soon the food arrived. Kawalski had been right about Jack; the man really could put the food away! And soon he was picking the French fries off Sam's plate. Helen had offered him the last few bites of her steak, claiming she was full, and Jack had scarfed them down and another two beers as well. When he was finished, he leaned back against the seat, patted his full stomach and belched loudly. Behind him, Kawalski followed suit, and that's when Janet stepped in. She hated it when they got into one of their pissing contests!

"Men, for heaven's sake!" Janet swore at them. "Find your manners!" Sam just turned her face away and laughed. She was currently sitting on an extra chair that had been scrounged up and placed at the end of the table by Daniel, who was clearly the only gentleman in the place.

Ferretti looked over at them and shook his head. "Janet, it's hard for them to find their manners, when they never had any in the first place," he said scornfully. Charlie hit his friend up the side of the head, and Ferretti hit him back. Kawalski reached up to hit Ferretti again. But before a Three Stooges slap fest could ensue, Jack told them to knock it off. Then he did something that took Sam totally by surprise; he asked her to dance. Well, actually he didn't really ask.

"Come on, Sam, let's dance. We're getting out of this loony bin," he said as he slid out of the booth.

Without giving her time to refuse, he took her hand and pulled her up off the chair. Sam went with him as though she had no will of her own, and truly at the moment she didn't feel like she had free will at all! It was almost like that day in her quarters...the day she had made love to him the second time...when he had asked her to repeat her actions from that time in the ice cave. She had been unable to resist him that day, and her lack of moral fiber...or whatever one cared to call it...had changed her life more than she had ever imagined it could.

Jack twirled her around once and pulled her into his arms, as though he had been dancing with her for years. Part of her wanted to melt against his chest and lean in to kiss his very appealing neck, but another, more cautious part of her, warned her about getting too close to this man. He was like fire, and she was like the moth, and if she wasn't careful she'd get her wings burned again! And so she kept her head up and her back straight, refusing to give into her desire for him.

Jack could tell she wasn't entirely comfortable dancing with him, and he had to admit he wasn't feeling all that relaxed either. The beer had helped them both relax, but only up to a point. After all, he and Sam did have a history. And in fact, nothing had ever really been settled between them. He suddenly decided that it was time that he come clean with her, because he really wanted their relationship to go someplace...and not just to the bedroom. He had always known that Sam had left the SGC because of him...because of what they had done. Blame had been weighing heavily on Jack's mind that day when Daniel had approached him with accusations, and that was probably the reason he had blown his stack and had hit the man. He never blamed the guy for hitting him back, and he still didn't.

"Sam, could we go someplace quiet and talk?" Jack asked her, and at first Sam froze, not sure what to say. She wanted to talk, but she didn't think she could trust him...or trust herself to be alone with him.

"I'm not sure. I would like to talk, but..." She didn't know quite how to say what she was thinking, but as he always had, Jack put it into plain language.

"You're afraid we'll end up screwing, instead of talking. Yah, I get that. But I promise I won't touch you. We'll just talk," he promised, and Sam nodded her head.

"I'd like that." Jack led her back to their table, where he quickly told Janet and Daniel that he would drive Sam home. The two seemed totally absorbed in each other and barely paid any attention to Jack and Sam.

"Good-night, you guys! I'll see you on Monday at work," Sam said, as she waved a hand at the two. Several people shouted at Jack to behave himself, and Kawalski whistled when he saw that Sam was leaving with Jack. Jack threw some cash on the table, picked up his pool cue case, and held up his middle finger as he stared Charlie down.

"If that's what you're gonna be doin, Jack, then be sure and use protection!" Charlie shouted. Sam could feel her face turning red again.

"When did Janet and Daniel get so cozy?" Sam asked Jack as they made their way through the crowded restaurant and out to the parking lot.

"They've been dating for a couple of months...since the Christmas party. I think Janet caught him under the mistletoe. After that, the boy didn't stand a chance," Jack joked, and they both laughed.

Jack led Sam to his truck and helped her climb up into the seat. She still had no idea where they were headed, but she decided to just wait and see. If Jack did anything she didn't like, she'd say so, and then she'd insist he take her straight home. She intended to stick to her guns, not just for herself but for Amy. She wanted romance and someone to make her feel like a woman again. But even so, there would be no fooling around with him or anyone who wasn't looking for a lasting commitment.

TBC

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sam sat silently after they left O'Malley's. Jack had the radio on, so she pretended to be enjoying the music. But in reality, she was not even hearing the words to the songs. She didn't know what to say to him now that they were alone. After a few minutes, it became clear that they were heading for Cheyenne Mountain. In a way that made Sam feel safe, and so she waited patiently to see what Jack would do once they got there. When Jack got to the fork in the road, instead of going left to the main gate, he steered to the right, taking the narrower road that led up to the top of the mountain. Sam had heard there was a sort of 'lovers' lane' up there, for young people willing to risk trespassing on government property. She noticed several of the warning signs, the trucks headlights illuminating them as they passed. She had to wonder what Jack was up to. He had said he just wanted to talk to her. Had that just been a ploy to get her alone? But if so, why choose this place?

Sam nervously smoothed her short skirt against her thighs and tried to calm down, briefly wishing she'd worn jeans instead. She had other concerns as well; her breasts were beginning to ache, and she'd need to nurse or express her milk soon or it would begin to seep out and stain her top. Well, that would certainly be an interesting subject for her and this handsome man to discuss, now wouldn't it, she thought as he aimed the truck toward the edge of the flat expanse before them. There was a sort of parking lot, and two other vehicles already sat quietly in the darkness.

"Eh...Jack, why are we up here?" she finally asked him. The lights from the city below were shining like trillions of fire flies, but no amount of beautiful sights could make Sam feel at ease just now .

"I thought it would be a nice place to talk. It's quiet, AND I happen to know there's a meteor shower tonight. Well, actually it's supposed to be easiest to see at 2:00, but it is visible now, though," he said as she glanced at the clock on the instrument panel. It was currently 23:30 hours.

"I didn't know you were interested in astronomy," she said, watching his face in the green glow of the lights inside the big truck.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Sam," he told her, and she had to admit he was right. They hadn't know each other all that long or really very well. Maybe this time things would be different, and she'd get to know Jack the man and not just O'Neill the soldier, she thought hopefully.

Jack turned off the headlights and the engine and let the truck roll forward a bit more, before putting it in park Then he opened the door and got out, before reaching behind the seat to pull out a couple of blankets. Without saying a word to Sam, he closed the door and went to the back of the truck. Sam knew she could either stay put and refuse to get out like some frightened child, or she could be an adult about this and join him. She decided on the latter.

When she got to the tailgate, Jack was already in the bed of the pickup, where he had spread out the blanket, leaving it folded in two. A red flag went up in Sam's brain, but her pride wouldn't allow her to show fear. He was just a guy, for heaven's sake! If she had to knee him in the balls or bust his nose to keep him off her, she could do it! He reached down and Sam put her hand in his. With one pull, he hauled her up into the truck, where she quickly crawled forward to sit with her back against the cab. Once again she wished she had worn jeans, instead of a skirt! Jack moved to sit next to her, his shoulder just barely brushing hers as he got comfortable.

"We won't stay long, 'cause it'll get too cold," he said, as he arranged the second blanket over their legs. "I planned to come up here tonight, but I sure didn't expect you to be here with me," he told her frankly.

"And if I hadn't been at O'Malley's tonight, who would you have brought up here?" she asked, and then she bit her bottom lip, wishing she hadn't asked something that sounded so jealous or accusatory. Jack chuckled, so apparently he was amused by her question and not offended, she thought with relief.

"I don't know. Maybe no one. Or maybe that little red-haired nurse, Sandra, who was sitting next to Kawalsky. She's nice, and we get along pretty good," he said, revealing more than she'd expected. Just then a shooting star blazed across the sky. "There! See!" Jack said, pointing up at the sky.

Sam's eyes followed his hand as another meteor burst on the scene and died away, leaving a thin, silver trail in the night sky. But Sam's mind was on Jack. There was so much she wanted to know about him!

"So you've been dating, but there's no one serious?" she asked. His answer was short and to the point, which was more typical of him.

"Yah, nobody important." He sat forward and rested his arm on one bent knee, as he turned to look at her. "Okay, now it's my turn to ask the questions," he said, and a chill ran up Sam's spine. She hugged her jacket closer around her, anticipating the worst. "There's something I've been wondering since I saw you that last time," he began, and Sam held her breath. She was pretty sure what his question would be, and not sure she wanted to answer it. "Why did you do it?" he asked her, and Sam hesitated for a minute. She knew exactly to what he was referring, but she wasn't sure how much of her soul she was prepared to bare just now!

"Why did I break the regs with you?" she asked, buying time.

"Yah. Well, particularly that second time. I think the first time we both thought we were going to die. But in your quarters that day...you certainly didn't have to do it, and you couldn't have gotten much enjoyment from it. In fact, as I recall, I owe you," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Yes, I suppose you do," she agreed, as she felt her face flush. Then she sighed as she tried to gather her courage. She was beginning to feel a real need to get this off her chest. Maybe admitting her guilt would be like a catharsis that would cleanse her soul!

"Actually, both times my motive was purely selfish. I didn't do it for you. I did it for myself, because I wanted you. Not the way you wanted me. I know that now. I get that. I wanted more than just sex. I wanted a real relationship...a commitment...a ring...marriage...kids...the whole nine yards." Sam wanted to watch his face, to see if she could tell what he was thinking. But he had turned his head away from her, and now his eyes were focused somewhere out there.

"I knew, because of what you said that day in my room, that you didn't want the same things as me," she continued. "I don't blame you. You can't help how you feel. Some men...and women...are never ready to settle down."

"Actually, I tried that once...the settling down thing. I was married, Sam. Her name was Sara."

"Oh, my God! Sara was the name you called out that day in the ice cave! I thought it was just someone you knew!"

"We were married almost ten years. She had just kicked me out the week before," he admitted, and Sam felt herself pale. She'd had sex with a married man! "I didn't really want the divorce, but she did. I let her down...pretty bad. You see, we had a son. His name was Charlie, after Kawalsky. My son...he...he shot himself...with my service revolver," he told her in a broken voice. "It was my fault. I should have hid it better, or made him see how dangerous it was. Although I think Sara finally forgave me, I couldn't forgive myself. Never will," he admitted.

"I'm so sorry, Jack!" She couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a child. She'd only been a mother for a short time, and already it seemed like her life revolved around Amy. She knew she would be devastated if anything happened to her, and she wondered how anyone could go on living, particularly if they felt responsible for their child's death.

"Thanks. It's been pretty rough. I didn't cope very well for a while. You can ask Daniel. I almost blew the two of us up on our first mission together...on purpose. It's a wonder he didn't try and have me committed when he got back. I was a mess back then," he admitted. Jack stared into her eyes, which were big with what he figured was horror that he could be such as lousy parent. "I can't expect you to understand how bad I feel, since you don't have children. Let's just say that losing Charlie was like losing my arms and legs or worse...like losing my heart."

"Actually, I do have...some idea of your loss. My brother's baby died last winter. He was a SIDS baby. You know, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome?" She had started to tell him about Amy, but for some reason she thought better of it. There would be time later on for him to know about her...if this thing between them was worth pursuing.

"I'm sorry. That must have been tough on you too. You're close to your brother?" he asked.

"Yes, Mark and I are very close, although he's eight years older than me. He's in the Air Force too. He lives in Texas. I usually visit him and his family two or three times a year. It's only been in recent years that I've not been able to get down there. This year I plan to spend Christmas with them. His wife is pregnant again."

"That's good. They say having another child helps lessen the pain."

"Would you like to have other children one day?"

"Yah, I would...with the right woman and when the time is right for both of us, of course." Jack leaned in toward her, and Sam knew that he wanted to kiss her. She panicked and turned her head away. When she finally turned toward him, he was leaning back against the truck again and was staring up at the stars.

"You're a lot more complicated than I thought you were, Jack O'Neill," she admitted. He chuckled deep in his throat.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked, tipping his head to the side, his eyes focusing on her lips. Once again Sam thought he wanted to kiss her, and this time she wasn't sure she would mind if he did. But the idea still scared her. What if he wanted more...out here...under the stars? Could she find it in herself to refuse him?

"It's a good thing, I think," she said, her eyes focusing on his lips. And then she shivered involuntarily.

"I think it's time I took you home," he said and the moment was gone.

The truck stopped in front of Sam's little house. Jack got out and ran around to open the passenger door for her. When she slid out of the seat and dropped to the ground, he caught her with both hands on her waist. They just stood there for a few seconds, staring into each other's eyes. And then Sam sneezed.

"Excuse me!" she said.

"Bless you! I hope I haven't made you sick. I mean I hope sitting outside didn't make you sick," he corrected, and Sam giggled.

"I'm sure neither is the case," she giggled. "I'll be fine. But if I'm not, you owe me chicken soup," she said, her face growing warm as she remembered the other thing he said he owed her. And although an orgasm or two would be really nice right now, she thought, she knew the time wasn't right...at least not for her.

They walked to the front porch together, and Sam got out her door key. Jack took it from her and put it into the lock. She really didn't want him to come inside, so she reached for the key and stood with her back to the door, turning the key while she stared up at him. He was very tempting, and her whole body cried out with need for the touch of a man. And so she thought fleetingly about asking him to come inside, but then what would she have done? Tell him, "Just wait here while I feed my daughter?" Amy would always come first in her life, of that she was certain.

"Good-night, Jack, and thanks for the dancing, the light show and the talk. I had a nice time," she told him honestly.

"I feel like I'm getting the bum's rush," he said, but he smiled as he said it.

"No, not exactly. But I do have to get up early tomorrow. I have a ton of things to do," she told him, and it was true. He just didn't need to know that two of those things were taking Amy to see her new pediatrician and going to buy her a baby bed. She was currently using a borrowed one.

"Okay, I can take a hint. But a little good-night kiss wouldn't hurt, would it?" he asked, leaning down to briefly touch her hair and forehead with his nose. He inhaled and exhaled loudly.

"Ahhhh! You smell good," he breathed out, his warm breath caressing her skin.

"It's just my shampoo," she said. Then she quickly kissed him on the cheek and darted inside, shutting the door and locking it before he had a chance to react.

"Hey! No fair!" he shouted through the door.

Sam giggled. Placing her face close to the door, she said, "Good-night, Jack!" She heard him wish her good-night in return, and then she waited. She heard the truck engine roar to life, and she knew he was leaving. She almost jumped out of her skin when Meredith came up behind her.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

Monday morning had come all too quickly for Sam Carter. She was simply not ready for this, and she wasn't sure if it was having to think about someone else besides herself, or just going back to work after a two-month break that was making her crazy! In the past she had always been punctual and organized. But it seemed like now that she was a mother, she had become one of those perpetually late, disorganized people that she had always despised! Just when she thought she had everything she needed for her first day back at the SGC, she realized she had left one important thing at home. And there was no way she'd have the time to go back after it!

Janet was walking down the hallway toward the day care center, when Sam rushed up to her from behind her, carrying her sleeping infant snuggled to her chest in a fabric pouch.

"Janet! I've got a problem!" Sam shouted.

"Which one? The little person strapped to your chest, or that crease in your face? You look worse than I feel!" Sam looked tired, and she had a long line running from her eye to the bottom of her left cheek, obviously the result of sleeping with her face in her pillow.

"Gee, thanks, Jan! I love you too! I know I look awful, but it's not that. I left my breast pump at home!" she hissed, bending down to whisper in the much shorter woman's ear.

"Ah, I see!" Janet snickered, although she could see how that might be a problem.

"You wouldn't happen to have one around, would you?" Sam asked her hopefully, as they swept into the nursery. Her left breast was already beginning to ache, since she'd not had time to express her milk that morning.

"No, sorry, Sam, the SGC hasn't begun requisitioning those just yet. Put Amy in any free bed," she told her, and Sam went to one and began to remove Amy from the cotton pouch.

Three women were already there, each depositing her offspring into a baby bed. After a quick round of introductions, Janet gave Sam a form to fill out, and a release paper for her to sign. "We can't have you suing the SGC for libel, if your kid gets sick or injured. But I can tell you that in the eight months we've been open, I haven't had any complaints!" Janet assured her.

Sam changed Amy's diaper with trembling hands, as she felt the other women's curious eyes on her and her baby. The women had seemed friendly enough, but Sam suspected she and Amy would be their main topic of conversation at lunch and on breaks for quite some time. This was going to be harder to do than she thought. Was the job really worth it?

"Hey, steady! I can do that, if you're in a hurry," Janet offered. She had never seen Sam so frazzled before.

"No, I've got it. I'm late anyway, so I may as well make her comfortable before I go see the General and get chewed out," Sam told her. Sam rolled her eyes when she heard her name being called over the loud speakers. Apparently the chewing out had already begun!

"I'll put her clothes back on. Now go!" Janet said, pushing Sam's hands away. Janet began snapping the legs of the terry cloth sleeper.

"Okay! See you later, sweetie pie!" Sam told Amy as she gave her daughter's tummy an affectionate pat. And then she dashed out of the big room, as two other women were just entering.

"Hey, I know her!" one of the women said, following Sam's departure with her green eyes. Then she turned back and was greeted by Janet's smiling face.

"Good-morning, ladies!"

"Good-morning, boss! Wasn't that Captain Carter?" the red-haired woman asked.

"Yes, it was...only it's Major now." Janet had expected there would be some raised eyebrows and questions, once it was known that Sam had a kid. She was almost glad she didn't know very much about Sam's personal life anymore, and it would be easy and honest to simply say she didn't know, when people asked her the big one. Just who was Amy's father? She wanted to know too!

The two women noticed the new baby immediately and went to take a look at her, once theirs were safely put into a playpen and bed. The red-haired nurse named Sandra reached down and stared at Amy, while the other one read the name tag that Janet had just put on the bed where the baby lay. Then she put a matching, sticky label on the front of Amy's one-piece outfit. The baby gurgled and cooed at the women, and then laughed outright.

"Amy Carter? No other last name, just Carter? Hmmmm. You don't suppose Carter finally had a moment where she wasn't thinking, do you? I wonder why she let her daddy get away? If this is an example of his work, then I wanna meet him!" Sandra said with a laugh, and Janet just rolled her eyes. If she knew Sandra, the woman would not only want to meet him, but she'd have him in her bed on the first date! Janet sometimes wondered why the woman had ever allowed herself to become pregnant, when she seemed so happy living the single life. At least her son got a lot of attention when he was here in the center. As for what happened at home, Janet shuddered to think!

"So, was Sam married or what?" Sandra asked. They were all gonna find out eventually anyway, so Janet decided to tell them as much as she knew.

"No, Sam wasn't married. She had the baby while she was assigned to Nellis. She's been on maternity leave for the past three months. That's all I know," she said, hoping that would end Sandra's questions. But Janet knew it wouldn't end the gossip. Even though this woman was the subject of a lot of rumors herself, she was still happy to help spread gossip about others.

"Well, will wonders never cease! Just when I thought that woman was exactly what everyone said she was, she goes and surprises me!"

"What did everyone say she was?" the other woman, an airman named Patti, asked.

"We used to call her 'the ice princess', because she wouldn't go out with anyone on base. And apparently she didn't date much at the Academy either, if the stories were true."

"Okay, you two! This is not a social club, so get to your posts!" Janet ordered, although she said it with a smile. The personnel here were great people, but they did need a strong, disciplining hand from time to time. She stayed until the person who was watching the kids that morning arrived, and then she went to her office to prepare for a briefing. She was going to be attending a meeting of Sam's new team later that morning, and she was really looking forward to it. Theirs would be the first all-scientist team!

Sam had reported to General Hammond's office ten minutes late. She stood at attention while he finished a phone call.

"At ease, Major. Major Carter, it's not like you to be late," he admonished her. "I'm sure you won't let it happen again."

"No, sir! I'm very sorry, Sir. I've got no excuse."

"Good, because I wouldn't want to hear any. Your team is waiting in the briefing room, along with Col. O'Neill, who will be going over some things you will need to remember. You must realize I'm not totally comfortable with sending an all-scientist team through the stargate, but it's what the Joint Chiefs and the President want?"

"Yes, sir, I understand that. But with proper recon by other SG teams beforehand, I believe our team can function quite nicely...on its own," she said diplomatically. She had wanted to say, 'without the interference of people whose main goal is not scientific discovery but the confrontation and possible destruction of new life forms and entities,' but she thought better of it. She was being given a chance to prove her point, why flaunt it in his face?

After all, Hammond was pure military; he couldn't be expected to think like a scientist like she did. But why was Jack going to be at the briefing? Did Hammond really think that Jack or anyone needed to remind her that things could go wrong? Before she could decide whether or not to ask him, he pointed her toward the briefing room door and followed her inside.

Sitting around the big, shiny table were Dr. Jay Felger and his assistant Chloe, Col. Jack O'Neill and three people she didn't know. Sam sat down in the vacant chair across from Jack, and nodded her head at each of them, as Hammond made the introductions. Two of the three strangers were scientists who had been chosen to be on her team. Dr. Darcy Moore was a botanist, and Dr. Major Kenneth Baker was a geologist. The other person was a man named Colonel Ryan Blake, and he was Hammond's new 2iC. After Hammond went over some of the new rules that she and her team were to follow, Jack took over, pointing out off-world protocols and guidelines that hopefully would keep them as safe as possible. He stressed, at the end of his talk, that they were to concern themselves only with survival...to seek shelter and abandon all scientific equipment and samples, if anything threatened their lives.

"I cannot stress enough that you are not to engage any enemy or place yourselves in harm's way...not even if it is to try and save the life of one of your own. You are to contact the SGC immediately, and we will send help. Is that clear?" Hammond asked, and four heads nodded in agreement. Sam didn't nod. In fact she was shaking her head negatively.

"Sir, I respectfully disagree! Sometimes quick action is needed to save a life. You can't expect me to run and hide, if one or more of my team is threatened!" Sam announced. "I have just as much experience and training as the airmen on the regular SG teams!"

"Major Carter, I understand your concern and your attitude, and this has been a major concern of mine. But, as I told you before, the Joint Chiefs and the President want to try this in order to reserve our combat trained personnel for where they are more greatly needed. While I acknowledge your abilities as a soldier, you are more valuable to us alive than dead. And since your team will only be sent to planets that have already been thoroughly scouted by advance teams, I see no reason not to agree to these guidelines. Remember also that your team is the first of its kind and will be the model for all future scientific teams. In other words, if the guidelines fail, there will be time for changes to be made. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir, crystal!" Sam stated, but she still didn't like being asked to cower behind a rock until another SG team came to save her ass!

"Alright. In that case, I'll let Col. O'Neill take over this briefing. He'll fill you and your team in on your first destination. Blake, you're with me," Hammond said as he rose, and his second-in-command followed him out of the room. As soon as the two commanding officers were out of ear-shot, Jack made one of his usual disrespectful comments.

"God, I never followed him around like that, did I Carter? I almost expected Hammond to yell 'heel!'" Sam put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Jack didn't seem to notice, and began to fill them in on P2X122. After Jack told them about the little planet they'd be visiting the following day, he asked if there were any questions. There were none, and so he left, allowing Sam to finish up with her crew.

"I'll be meeting with you at 14:00 hours to discuss what we will be taking with us," she told her crew. "Until then, get your equipment ready. Make sure you have everything you will need to run on-the-spot tests as well as gather samples," she told them, and then she dismissed them. She was the last to come out of the briefing room, and Jack was waiting for her in the hallway.

"How about a cup of coffee?" he suggested, hoping to talk to her in private for a few minutes. He had gotten some pretty strong vibes from her last night, and her hasty retreat inside the house had really puzzled him. It was almost like she was afraid of him, or of herself, and he wanted to know which it was.

"Okay. I could use something," she admitted. She always tried to drink plenty of fluids, and although coffee was not on her list of acceptable ones, she could have a glass of juice or milk.

"I was just wondering if I'd done something I shouldn't have...last night I mean," he drawled, the inference obvious. "You kind of ran out on me...again. I'm not used to women running away from me. It's usually just the opposite." Luckily they were the only two people in the elevator, or he never would have asked her something so personal or said something so cheeky. She thought he had a lot of nerve, but she also thought it was as hot as could be!

"I'm not running away. I'm right here. You were a perfect gentleman...last night I mean," she said softly, deliberately copying his phrasing and inflection. "I just needed to get to bed early." He was flirting with her, and she was flirting back. Should she be? Did she really want to give him the wrong idea about her? She wasn't that foolish young woman any longer. She had responsibilities now!

"I assure you I would have gotten you to bed...early," he said with a smirk that made Sam blush. Damn the man was a wicked bastard! The door opened and for one beat Sam considered making a dash for safety. Jack was just too dangerous to be around when he was in one of his flirtatious moods.

"I bet you would have," she agreed without looking at him. In fact she kept her eyes on the floor as they walked. She was thankful when she saw that there were quite a few people in the commissary, even in the middle of the morning. At least now he'd have to watch what he said, and she wouldn't be tempted to play his game!

"There must be a lot of people in need of caffeine this Monday morning," Jack joked, going to collect two cups. Sam quickly followed along behind him.

"No! No coffee for me. I'll just have some juice," she said, reaching for a glass of apple juice.

"No coffee? What are you on, some sort of caffeine deprivation regime or something?"

"You could say that." Jack paid for both drinks and followed Sam to a small table back in the corner. As they sat down, Daniel, who was sitting with Janet and two nurses at a table nearby, waved to them. Sam could feel the man watching her and Jack, and it made her a bit uneasy. She knew that Daniel was curious about her and Jack and what had happened between them, and now here she was sitting with Jack and stirring up all of those old memories and questions again. She could have kicked herself for being so foolish. Why couldn't she have simply told Jack 'no' when he asked her to have coffee with him? Why had she accepted his invitation last night?

"A penny for them," he said, watching her expression. Jack knew she'd been a mile away...or at least a few yards. He suspected that seeing Daniel just now had sent Sam's brain into think mode. But what exactly was she thinking about?

"You know Daniel meant well, when he was so angry with you...when I left the SGC. He knew me well enough to know that I was hurting, and he also knew how much I loved my job here. He was only trying to help. I guess he thought if he knew what went wrong between us, he could moderate some sort of truce or something. You know how he is...always wanting to arbitrate people's problems?"

"Yah, and I got that. I really did! But I was angry too. He wasn't the only one blaming me for you leaving, you know. I blamed me too. I still feel really bad about it. I should have tried harder to make you stay."

"Don't worry about it! Things worked out very well for me. I got a chance to tinker with more alien technology that any scientist could ever dream of! And now I've got a chance to head my own team. I'm not sure that would have happened, if I hadn't gotten months of supervisory duties under my belt. You have nothing to feel badly about, Jack," she assured him, and she meant it. She still felt responsible for the whole sordid affair, but at least some good things had come from it.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

It was the Friday of the second week of Sam's new assignment, and Sam had just turned in her weekly reports to General Hammond. So far the team was functioning well together, and everything was going smoothly. There had only been one small incident that had been even slightly disturbing, and it hadn't involved alien viruses or anything very serious, although it had been embarrassing. Felger had just come back from using the outdoor facilities...a nearby shrub to be precise...where some sort of insect had stung his privates. And while the other team members were busy taking samples and inspecting veins of ore in a nearby ravine, he had convinced his lab assistant to help him deal with his little problem.

When Sam got back to camp, she was met with a surprising and somewhat arousing sight! She found a partially naked Jay Felger laying on his back on a sleeping bag, with a flustered, red-faced Chloe straddling his thighs. Sam couldn't see it from this angle, but Chloe held a tweezer in her right hand which was poised above his painfully swollen penis. All Sam could see clearly as she walked up behind them, was Jay's naked legs and Chloe's back, her skirt spread out over his hips and her head down. Sam stopped in her tracks and listened, unsure what was going on and even more unsure what to do about it! Her supervisory experience hadn't entailed disciplining her staff for things of this nature!

"That's it, honey, more to the left! Right there! That's it! You've got it! Oh, thank God!" he cried, as Chloe successfully snagged the little prick.

Sam was flabbergasted! But instead of barreling in and startling them, she backed up a few yards and deliberately trod on some twigs, to let them know that someone was approaching. If this was what she thought it was, her first week as a team leader would surely be her last! She watched as Chloe quickly got up and Jay wiggled into his pants. Then he sat up and folded his hands in his lap, assuming a look of complete innocence.

Chloe, on the other hand, looked anything but innocent. The instant she looked at Sam's face, she began to babble. "It's just a little thing! So it was hard to reach, but I managed to get it out. I couldn't just let him suffer!" she cried. Jay got up and went to her side, wrapping one arm around her shoulders protectively. It was no secret that these two were having an affair, but usually they were both very professional on the job.

"I'm not sure I understand what just happened here. In fact, I'm not even sure I want to know," Sam said as she went to put her laptop on her work bench. But after Jay explained what had happened, they all had a good laugh. Sam told him to write up a report, just in case the bug came back to bite him in the ass, so to speak. You never could tell when someone could wind up getting sick from something that seemed so innocuous at the time, and Sam planned to leave nothing open to chance. She was going to give this assignment her best effort, even if it meant reporting embarrassing moments like this one!

Later that evening at home...

Sam was about to give Amy a bath, when the telephone rang. At least it wasn't her cell phone, which she used only for work. She had two days off, and she really wanted to spend them at home with her daughter. Covering the naked baby with a blanket where she say in her crib, she went to her bedroom to answer the phone.

"Hello!"

"Hi, Carter! I was wondering if you wanted to go out and maybe get a bite to eat?" Jack asked.

"Eh...you mean tonight?"

"Is it too late? You haven't already had dinner, have you?"

"No, but...well, I've kind of got plans," she said. She did have plans...plans to put her daughter to bed, heat up a frozen dinner and watch a romantic comedy on tv.

"Oh? Plans with who?" he asked, unwilling to give up. Now that she was back, he couldn't get her off his mind! And the idea that some other guy might be holding her in his arms later that night was really bugging him!

"I've just got some things I need to do." This was so hard! She hadn't expected telling him about Amy would be so hard, but it was!

"Can I help you do those things?" Jack asked. He really wanted to see Carter. And suddenly it occurred to him that she was lying. She was already seeing someone else!

"No, you can't help me." Just then Amy decided she had waited long enough for her dinner and began to cry. "I've really got to go now, Jack," Sam said quickly.

"Is that a baby I hear?" Jack asked her. Sam could hear the confusion in his voice.

"It's the TV," she lied, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Look, I really DO have to go now. Bye!" Sam said, and then she abruptly hung up.

Sam had been totally surprised by his call. Even though she knew they could date now, for some reason she hadn't expected to hear from him. Maybe it was because she figured he probably met a lot of other women who were more interesting and exciting than she was, like that red-haired nurse that he had mentioned. She had seen Sandra going into the day care center earlier that day, carrying her son. So apparently Jack wasn't turned off by a woman having kids. That was certainly good news, but still she felt dowdy and plain alongside of Sandra Taylor, with her flowing red hair, her thick, black lashes, green eyes and hourglass figure.

Jack looked at his phone for a few seconds. He couldn't believe she had hung up on him! Not only didn't women run from him, they never hung up on him either. He was sure the chemistry they'd had before was still there, and he was also sure that Sam was just being cautious. He had used her as much as she had used him, but that was in the past. He had changed a lot in the past year. But how could he prove it to her, if she wouldn't even see him? Jack made a decision and grabbed his wallet and keys. Thirty minutes later he was getting out of his truck which was parked in front of Sam's house, pizza box in one hand and a carton of beer in the other. He sat the beer down only long enough to ring the door bell.

Sam couldn't believe the number of interruptions she'd had this evening. First Jack had called and asked her out, and then she'd gotten two calls from telemarketers who offered her a new credit card. Even Janet and Daniel had called to see how she was doing, which she did appreciate, but all of these interruptions were driving her batty! And now the door bell was ringing, and Amy still hadn't finished nursing. She was just about to ignore it, when she heard Jack's voice.

"Pizza delivery! And I brought beer too! Come on, Carter, I know you're in there! Open up!" he called out. And since her trusty old Volvo was parked out front where he could see it, she went to the door and opened it.

"If you won't go out with me, I figured..." Jack's eyes were suddenly riveted to Amy, who Sam was holding close to her chest. Sam had a diaper thrown over her shoulder to cover her bare breast, but even so, she felt naked and totally thrown off balance. But like a good soldier, she managed to re-group and put on a brave face.

"Pizza and beer! How nice," Sam said through gritted teeth. Well, if this wasn't just the worse case scenario! "Come on in!" She backed up and gave him room to enter. Jack came inside and Sam nodded toward the kitchen. "We'll eat in there," she said, and then she pushed the door closed with her hip and locked it. Jack was standing at the kitchen counter when she got there. He was obviously in a state of shock, his eyes glued to the tiny bundle in her arms. She chose to ignore the obvious and go for calm, cool and collected, none of which she was feeling.

"Plates, if you need one, are in that cabinet behind your head. I'll start with a beer, but you'll need to open it for me," she told him, as she went to sit in her rocking chair by the fireplace. Jack opened a beer for both of them, and brought the bottles into the small sitting room, handing one to her. Then he just seemed to freeze in place, standing over her and looking down at Amy, or what he could see of her. Sam decided it was time to introduce Jack to Amy, and so she removed the diaper and let him look at her...and her bare breast.

"Jack, this is my daughter, Naomi Nicole, but I call her Amy," she stated. She took a sip of the beer as she watched Jack's expression go from startled to confused.

"What... How... Why didn't you tell me?" he finally asked, and for a second Sam panicked.

"Why didn't I tell you? Umm..." She wasn't entirely sure what he was asking her.

"Yah, why didn't you tell me you had a kid? ...when I told you about Charlie." He pulled his eyes away from the baby's mouth and the soft, pink flesh of Sam's nipple. He knew it was wrong to envy a tiny baby, but right now that was how he was feeling!

"I almost did," she admitted. "I should have. I'm sorry," she laughed, relieved to have this out of the way.

He had to do something to take his mind off what was going on over there, or otherwise he might start to drool. He could already feel himself growing hard, and he hoped that Sam wouldn't notice and think he was some kind of pervert. "So, is her father in Nevada?" Jack asked as he went to get some pizza.

"No, he's not," Sam answered honestly. Sam switched Amy to her other breast and picked up the beer again and taking several long swallows. Jack had come back and was sitting on the end of the sofa nearest her. He was eating, but his eyes were on Amy the entire time.

"I just never imagined you with a kid," Jack said. In truth he had thought about her having HIS kids, but Sam having a child with some other man was an idea that had never crossed his mind. And now that it had, he didn't like it much. Plus, seeing and hearing the baby at her oh, so enticing breast was causing him to get harder by the second as he listened to those little slurping sounds. What he was feeling made him ashamed of himself, and he suddenly got up and took his plate to the kitchen. Sam watched in shock as he ran a hand through his hair and made his apology.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just come over like this. I'll see you at work," he said, and then he left. Sam just sat there. She couldn't have caught him, even if she'd tried. So she just continued to feed her baby, while all sorts of thoughts filled her head. And the one that kept repeating in her brain was that Jack had been turned off by the idea of her having a child. He wanted nothing to do with her now that he knew about Amy, and that hurt her more than anything she could imagine.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

The following week after Jack found out Sam had a daughter, he was sent on a lengthy mission to the newest Tok'ra base. SG-1 was away for two weeks, and during that time Sam had been very busy with her own team, leading them to several uninhabited planets. With Jack gone, her life was calm and moving along nicely. She and Janet had spent more time together too, and had renewed their friendship. And even though Sam knew it hurt her friend that she hadn't told her who Amy's father was, Sam still figured it was for the best. Sometimes the truth could hurt more than it helped, and in this case, Sam felt certain she was doing the right thing. Until some man came along who could love her and Amy equally, Sam was determined to go it alone. But if that never happened, she could have a nice life without a husband, and Amy could grow up into a healthy, productive woman without a father.

It was late on a Friday afternoon and Sam and Ken Baker were working in her lab. They had brought back some very promising samples of ore that day, and Ken was intrigued by one that seemed to generate heat when compressed.

"I'm telling you, Sam, there is potential here for many things! Think of the possibilities!" he shouted, and Sam smiled at his enthusiasm. She also realized that he could be correct. Only time and a lot of experimentation would tell. For now, she was tired and wanted to get Amy and go home.

"I agree, but it can wait until Tuesday. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to a long weekend off!" Sam began to slip out of her white lab coat, when she felt Ken's hands on her shoulders helping her. She let him pull it off and hang it up for her. It followed it with his own, while she went around checking to make sure all the equipment was either turned off or running properly. Sam grabbed her purse and joined Ken at the door, where he flicked off the light switch, leaving them in just the light coming in through the tiny window in the door. He stood between her and the exit, and she could tell he wasn't going to budge.

"What..." Sam didn't get a chance to ask him what he was doing, because suddenly his lips were on hers.

"Wow!" was all she could say when their lips parted, because the kiss was totally unexpected.

"Wow? Is that a good 'wow' or just a surprised one?" he asked, his arms encircling her waist.

"I guess it's a good 'wow'," she assured him. "But kind of sudden," she said.

"Kind of sudden for you maybe. But I've been wanting to do that for weeks...ever since I met you that day in the briefing room." Sam looked into his blue eyes and smiled at him. It was flattering to know that he found her appealing. He knew about Amy, and apparently the idea of her having a child didn't turn him off. So maybe there was hope for some romance in her life after all!

"Let's go get Amy, and I'll take you both out to dinner. Nothing fancy...some sort of family restaurant," he suggested. Sam liked the sound of that. Here was a guy who was willing to accept her as she was...baby and all!

"I'd like that very much!" And so they went to the day care center and got Amy, and the next two hours had been very nice. Ken had taken them to an Italian restaurant where there were many families having dinner. And the only time Amy had fretted, Sam had been able to quiet her with a bottle of water and her pacifier. Afterward, he had driven them back to the base parking lot and Sam's car.

"I had a really nice time," she told him as they stood inside her open car door. Unnoticed by them, inside a big, dark green truck parked on the far end of the lot, Jack O'Neill sat and stared at the couple.

"Sam, would it be okay if I call you later?" he asked, and Sam nodded in the affirmative, words suddenly seeming unnecessary. Ken leaned down and kissed her, much like the first time. The only difference was that this time her arms went around his neck, and she pulled him closer to her, needing to feel the hard body of a man. He wasn't much taller than her, and he wasn't very muscular or toned like most of the airmen and marines on base. But the kiss was very nice, and she realized it was something she needed.

As Sam drove home, she thought about how her life could be different...better...with a man in it. Until Amy had come along, she had always felt she didn't want or need the things that other women had. She loved her career, and she envisioned no white picket fences in her future, nor did she want them. Well, things had changed in the past few months. Now making a home for Amy and herself was what mattered the most, even if some dreams had to be forgotten. Life didn't always work out perfectly, and she knew that. Amy's biological father had still done her a great favor, and for that she would always be grateful to him. And gratitude was all she could ever feel toward him, since he had obviously decided that she and Amy were not things he wanted in his life. She was deep in thought as she removed Amy from her infant car seat.

Jack had been shocked to see Sam kissing that Baker guy. He knew that any guy with eyes in his head would find Carter attractive, but for some reason it still surprised him to see her with someone else...and it hurt...a lot. And so without thinking about what he would say to her, he had followed her home. And now here he was, walking up behind her as she took her baby out of her car. He put a hand on the car door, trying to calm his thoughts. These feelings he was having about her and about her baby were very unsettling, and he wasn't even sure what the feelings meant!

"Hey, Carter!" Sam jumped noticeably. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said honestly as he watched Sam clutch the tiny infant to her chest.

"Jesus, Jack! You scared the life out of me!"

"Sorry," he said again. And then Sam turned around and headed up the sidewalk, leaving him to shut the car door. He did and then he jogged after her, intending to help her unlock the door. As he had done almost a month before, he grabbed her keys from her hand. But this time he unlocked the door and went inside. He wasn't going to be shut out this time!

She walked inside and headed down the hallway to the bedroom. "Make yourself at home!" she called back over her shoulder. Obviously he was going to anyway! Part of her was angry, because he kept assuming she wanted to see him. Another part of her was so glad that he did!

She took Amy's coat and hat off and changed her diaper. All the while she could feel Jack's eyes on her back, as he stood watching her from the doorway of her bedroom. Sam put her down in her new baby bed, which sat at the foot of her bed, while she removed her own coat and slipped off her shoes. She really had wanted to rent a larger house...one with a separate bedroom for Amy, but this house would have to do for now.

Sam slipped on a pair of house shoes before picking up her fussing daughter. She was beginning to stuff her little fist into her mouth and suck it fretfully. Sam intended to feed her daughter whether Jack was there or not, even though doing so that other time had been a bit unnerving. And she knew why; as odd as it sounded, even though they had done things together...intimate things, until recently Jack had not seen her breasts!

Sam went to the kitchen, Jack following her like a puppy begging for attention. It gave her a certain pleasure to know he craved a word or a look from her, but she withheld both, still angry over his seeming rejection of her baby girl. 'Is he having second thoughts?' she asked herself, as she made herself comfortable in her rocking chair.

"There's beer in the fridge. It's yours, so you may as well drink it," she commented to Jack, who was hovering around the fireplace and looking like a fish out of water. She sensed that he was trying not to look at her and Amy, and she wasn't sure how to take that. Was the idea of her having a baby that revolting to him?

Well, so far Sam wasn't liking Jack's reaction to Amy very much. Maybe it was time for her to give him a chance to either reject the child or not, and so she screwed up her courage and tried to decide exactly what to say.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

Sam decided that she'd had enough of this uneasy quietness between her and Jack. She would just get everything out into the open, and see what happened. The truth might make things more difficult for her at the SGC, but she couldn't feel anymore uneasy around Jack than she did right now!

"Jack, I have a confession to make, and I know it's going to shock you." He just stared at her, thinking that nothing could shock him anymore than finding out she had a kid. But he was wrong.

"I was already pregnant with Amy when I got to Nellis. I didn't meet her father there. I met him here...at the SGC. Jack, Amy was conceived that day in my quarters. Amy is YOUR daughter."

There! She had said it! Now let the heavens fall or hell open up and swallow her. Whatever was going to happen, she just wished Jack would say something. But instead, he just sat there with his mouth gaping open...not the most attractive expression on his otherwise handsome face. Then he stood up, and Sam thought he was going to bolt for the door once again, just like the last time.

But this time Jack didn't leave. Instead he came and stood beside her chair, looking down upon Amy. At the same time, as if she knew something special had just happened, Amy looked over at Jack's face. Jack reached out and gently ran a finger across Amy's plump cheek, from her ear to her pink, rosebud mouth, and then he stopped. Instead of allowing himself to touch Sam's breast, he drew his hand back quickly.

Was it possible that deep down inside he knew or sensed that Amy was his? Was this why he felt such overwhelming emotion when he saw Amy nursing before? He had known his feelings were something new...stuff he had never felt before, but other than that, he didn't know what the feelings meant. They were more powerful and confusing than anything he had ever felt in his life, and Jack had been so terrified that he had literally run away.

When he had seen the baby suckling at Sam's breast, his first inclination was to hold them close to his chest, while he buried his face in her breast, inhaling the scent of the baby and her mother. He wanted to let his loins swell with need for Sam, as he feasted at her breast, just like her child was doing. He wanted to be a part of this amazing act somehow...to be included in it...to feel the warmth and affection and the nurturing that Sam was providing for her daughter. And now that he knew Amy was his daughter too, those feelings were even stronger than before!

Jack gazed lovingly at Amy's sweet face...her rosy cheeks, her blue eyes and her mop of dark brown hair. He realized that she looked a bit like him, particularly the color of her hair and the set of her eyes. And then it occurred to Jack that he might never have known about her, if Sam hadn't been offered her current position at the SGC. She might have never come back, and he would have never known he had a child. Sam had kept her pregnancy a secret from him, and she probably wouldn't have told him about Amy, if she hadn't come back to Colorado to work at the SGC.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" he asked. Sam had seen his expression change from love as he looked at Amy, to something that she took for anger when his eyes met hers. She had never expected him to be angry at her. Sam had expected Jack to be shocked certainly and maybe even unwilling to accept that Amy was his, but never angry!

"I didn't think you were interested in having a family...in settling down. You said as much...you talked about us having fun together. You never said anything about a commitment or about caring for me that way, so I figured it was for the best," Sam responded quickly.

"You didn't give me a chance! You just assumed you knew me, but you didn't!" he yelled at her. "You don't know me at all! I loved my son, and I was devastated when he died. I never expected to get a chance to be a father again. I figured I didn't deserve another chance, but that doesn't mean I didn't want one! You had no right to keep her from me," he stated bluntly. "You won't take her away from me. I'll see a lawyer, if I have to," he fumed, his fists clinching at his sides. Sam had never seen him so angry before. Well, that wasn't really true; she had seen him plenty angry at Daniel a few times. But she had never seen him so angry at her before. It scared her and it hurt.

"Jack, I had no idea you would care so much! I'm sorry, really I am! I won't take her away from you...ever! Please, Jack, you have to believe me!" she begged. Amy had let go of her mother's tit and was beginning to fuss. Distractedly, Sam took the diaper she had slung over her shoulder and wiped the baby's mouth, while Jack looked on.

"Can I hold her?" he asked quietly. Jack had calmed down considerably as he watched Sam place their daughter up to her shoulder. Sam gently patted her back a few times and was rewarded with a loud burp.

"Of course you can!"

Jack bent down and picked up Amy's tiny body, supporting her head and lifting her with practiced ease to his chest. Sam closed her blouse while she watched him holding their daughter. He obviously did have some experience with babies, and this was just one more thing that surprised Sam Carter about this man. That he had been a father once, she now knew. But she still hadn't been able to picture him with a baby. And now that she saw him with Amy, she was amazed at how comfortable and natural he looked.

Jack sat down on the sofa again, Amy laying along his left arm, while his right hand carefully inspected her little fingers. Beside his big rough, callused hands, her hands seemed like those of a doll...tiny, smooth and perfectly formed. He marveled at each tiny finger nail, no larger than some of the freckles on Sam's neck and shoulders. Those freckles had caught his eye too. Having never seen so much bare Carter skin before, Jack had been overwhelmed by the sight. She was magnificent! He looked up as she rose out of her chair and came to sit next to him on the sofa.

"I really am sorry I misjudged you, Jack. But that day...the first time you saw her...you seemed to reject her. You couldn't seem to get away from us fast enough." Sam looked at Jack holding his sleeping daughter in his arms, thinking she had never before seen any sight as beautiful as this.

"I didn't reject her so much as I hated the idea that some other man had made her with you. I was jealous, Sam. I had no idea she was mine. I just wish you had told me sooner!"

Sam lightly touched Amy on the cheek, and they both watched as her little bow of a mouth began to make sucking motions, moving as though she were still nursing at Sam's breast. They both smiled.

"I was also feeling something pretty strange and a bit embarrassing," he admitted, and damn it if his cock wasn't beginning to swell once again just thinking about it. Sam's eyebrow arched as she tried to imagine what he was talking about.

"When I watch her nursing, all I want to do is share in what she's getting and feeling...the closeness and the love. And this may sound kind of sick, but it turns me on! I'm a bit jealous of her, I guess," he admitted, his smooth, tanned neck flushing dark red. Sara hadn't breast fed Charlie, and so these feelings were new and surprising to him. And he wasn't sure they were entirely appropriate.

"That's not sick! It's natural! And you don't have to be jealous, Jack. I've got enough here for you too," she assured him, cupping her full, right breast provocatively through her blouse. Jack's eyes followed her hand, and his mouth began to water.

"I'd really like that...to taste you, I mean... and to see you...all of you. Could we... I had the feeling you were a bit afraid of being alone with me before. We can go slow, if you want, but I have to tell you that I really don't wanna go slow," he said breathlessly.

"I was afraid...afraid to let myself want you again. I wanted to wait until I found out if you were ready for a commitment. And although I'm certain of how you feel about Amy, I'm still not certain how you feel about me, Jack," she said honestly.

"Let me show you how I feel about you, Sam. I've never been much good with words. I'm more a man of action," he said with a smug smirk.

"Oh, you are, are you? Okay, then come on. We'll put our daughter to bed, and you can show me how you feel about me."

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

Less than two hours ago she had been having dinner with Ken Baker, and thinking that maybe he could be the answer to her prayers...the man to fill her bed and be a father to her child. But had she really wanted another man to act as a father to Jack's child, and could she ever truly get Jack out of her system? Those were just two of the questions that had been filling her mind as she drove home that evening. And then suddenly things had changed. And instead of basing her hopes for the future on Ken Baker or any other man, it looked as though Jack was turning out to be the man she'd always dreamed he would be!

Jack was feeling sort of out of it...like he was floating on a cloud! He had watched Ken kiss Sam good-night, and his heart had actually hurt as though it were being crushed. And then he had followed her home, and she had told him he was Amy's father. And although at first he had been hurt that she had deceived him, he was very happy now.

Amy was asleep in her crib at the foot of Sam's bed, and until now Sam had not thought how unsettling it would be to have sex with her daughter in the same room. Jack was kissing the side of her neck, his hands roaming over her curves, while Sam's eyes were riveted on her daughter.

"Jack, I'm not sure I can do this here," she finally said, pushing against his chest. Jack broke off leaving a string of kisses across her jaw and looked at her in confusion. "...with Amy here," she clarified, feeling slightly silly for having admitted it to him.

"She's a baby, Sam. What's she gonna know? Here, I'll just roll her bed up against the wall a bit," he said, pushing the baby bed slowly and carefully toward the far wall. Sam thought that might help a little. Even though she was still in the same room, at least their feet wouldn't be bumping the crib. Sam figured she was being silly, and so she forced herself to forget about Amy for now.

After unbuttoning Sam's blouse, Jack had slipped it down her arms and let it drop to the carpeted floor. And now his teeth were pulling down the left cup of her nursing bra, as his lips sought her rosy center. Sam reached around behind her and unfastened the bra, wanting to get rid of the ugly thing as quickly as possible. She hated that she wasn't wearing something pretty and sexy, although Jack certainly didn't seem to notice!

"God, you're beautiful," he breathed as the bra fell off and he saw her breasts entirely exposed for the first time. He had imagined this moment quite often, but in reality she was so much lovelier than any images he had pictured in his mind. A little cry escaped Sam's mouth as Jack's thin lips encased a turgid nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure throughout her body. Sam could feel her body reacting to his ministrations, her thin breast milk flowing into his eager mouth. This was different than when Amy nursed, but yet similar, the muscles of her womb contracting with each powerful pull. Sam latched onto his hair as she felt a wave of euphoria sweeping over her, making her somewhat dizzy.

"Can't stand up anymore," she breathed out as her knees began to give way. Jack's arms, that before had been holding her up, now were guiding her to the bed. The backs of her legs contacted the mattress and she fell backwards, his lips leaving her breast with a soft, slurping pop. Then he was on his knees, rising above her, hands working at the waistband of her skirt, loosening it and tugging it down her long legs. Sam felt like this was happening to someone else, and she was watching from above as Jack knelt over her, gazing down at her near nakedness. Her arms instinctively came up, crossing over her chest as she began to feel uncomfortably on display.

"Don't. Don't hide yourself from me, Sam. I want to see you," he growled. And then he ripped off her panties, tearing them in two. She watched, her heart beating a mile a minute, as his hands grabbed the bottom of his shirt and whipped it off over his head. Before she even realized it, he had unzipped his jeans and tugged them off, taking his underwear with them.

To Sam everything seemed to be happening so quickly and as though to someone else. Wishing to be more of an active participant, Sam reached out for him, wrapping a trembling hand around his engorged penis. He was big...much bigger than she remembered, and his size scared her a bit. It had been quite a while since she'd had sex, and suddenly the task before her seemed very daunting!

Jack had seen the same look on the faces of other women, and he knew what it meant. With his upper body weight supported on one arm, he put his other hand gently over hers in a gesture meant to soothe her worries.

"It'll be alright. You can guide me. We can take it slow. You know I would never hurt you," he promised, and then his hand released hers and moved between her thighs to test her readiness. She was drenched in her own fluids, and her hips bucked toward him when she felt his touch. Before when they'd had intercourse, Sam had been on top, and she had decided how much or how little of him she took inside her. This time he was in charge, and he wanted to be certain he didn't do anything to hurt her. And so, just as he promised, he allowed her hand to guide him.

As she felt the plumy head of his erection squeeze pass her entrance, she slid her hand down his shaft until her fingers were around his balls. Then she cupped them in her small hand as Jack pressed into her, her legs instinctively falling open even wider. Inch by inch Jack thrust forward, until Sam's hand was trapped between his body and hers. Finally, with one squeeze of his testicles, she let go of him and Jack pushed home, seating himself deep within her womb. Then he backed out slowly, each little ridge and vein of his nine-inch cock rubbing over the sides of her narrow passage...setting fire to her nerve endings and causing her muscles to flutter in response.

"Oh, God, Jack!" she cried, as he began to push in and pull out again and again, the repetitive motions stimulating her sensitive flesh, driving her closer and closer to ecstasy. While one of his hands lifted her hips, elevating her lower body for his penetrations, the other hand worked her breast, pinching and tugging the nipple. Her milk began to flow freely, tickling as it ran down her side. Her hands flew to his shoulders and then to the back of his neck and head, as she tried desperately to find some way to hold on to reality. Frantic fingers wove through his silvered hair, tugging the short strands mercilessly, until she worried she'd pull it out.

Jack didn't notice. He wasn't concerned about hair lost just now. He was lost in the throes of passion with this wonderful woman...more swept up than he could ever remember being with anyone before.

"Jack, please...touch me!" Sam pleaded, her voice sounding unfamiliar to him in her aroused state. But Jack knew what she needed and moved to give it to her, his right hand shifting from her hip to the area just above where they were joined. He spread his big hand on her belly and rubbed her clit with just the slightly scratchy pad of his thumb, and in a few seconds he felt her body tense and her vaginal muscles begin to pulsate around his cock. And then she was coming...her chest flushing crimson...her thighs quivering as she pressed her heels into the mattress...her back arching up off the bed. Sam screamed and bucked under him, her muscles clamping down on his shaft in an attempt to hold him inside her. She was like a wild animal...her usual self-control overcome by unbridled, primal emotions. And she was the most beautiful sight that Jack had ever seen!

Sam gradually opened her eyes and began to breathe normally once again. Jack leaned down close to her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear while she came down from her orgasmic high. Now that Sam had been satisfied, Jack could allow himself completion, but for a minute he just wanted to marvel at where he was. He lifted up and looked down at her luscious body, seeing the trail of breast milk glistening where it ran down over her creamy flesh. He lowered his head and licked her breast, following the slightly sticky-sweet trail with his tongue, while Sam's hands caressed his head. Then he looked down further, seeing where they were joined, fitted together as though they were meant for one another. The sight spurred him on. All he wanted to do was to get lost in her...crawl into her so deeply that he would never find his way out.

"Now I'm gonna fuck you, baby, like you've never been fucked before," he promised, and Sam's eyes closed as he began to move over her. Throwing his self-discipline and restraint out the window, Jack began to pound into her willing flesh, his arms encircling her shoulders as he leaned his head down next to hers. His hot breath hit her neck in short, loud puffs...his forehead and back broken out in a cold sweat, as he rammed into her time and time again...until suddenly there was a shower of white lights...tiny fireworks going off behind his closed eyelids. Jack choked out a cry of relief and surrender as he filled her womb with his essence, his erection pulsing against the sides of her tight channel.

Sam could feel his balls throbbing against her perineum when he came. And for a split second she worried that she had not thought to ask him to use a condom. It wasn't that she was concerned about catching some disease from him. What she was concerned about was getting pregnant! Even though she was still nursing, she knew it was entirely possible that she could become pregnant. That they were compatible was certainly a proven fact!

Jack lifted up and pulled out of her, falling onto his back on the bed. Sam turned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder as he drew her into his arms.

"God, Sam, that was wonderful!" he said, and then he kissed her temple and expelled a long sigh.

"Yes, it was," she agreed. "In fact it was better than wonderful! I'd say it was just about perfect," she told him.

"Well, I've never had any complaints before," he said smugly, and Sam slapped his chest with her hand.

"Braggart!"

"Hey! Well, just sayin I haven't, that's all."

Well, she certainly had no complaints...at least not about the sex. As for his intentions toward her and Amy, she figured that was something she still needed to discover about him. And until she was sure he was in this for the long haul, she was going to set some boundaries in their relationship. She just wasn't sure what those boundaries were yet or how to go about establishing them.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

After their first night together, Jack had taken the two of them out to breakfast...something she hadn't done since her friends had surprised her with a baby shower/brunch when she was pregnant. Jack had gone home to shower and change first, getting up at his usual 5 am, while Sam fed Amy and got them both ready to go out. By seven he was back at Sam's house to pick them up. They'd had a wonderfully relaxed time at a local resort dining room, while Amy slept in her infant carrier.

The following day, which was Sunday, they had decided to sleep in. Or at least she had intended to sleep until it was time for Amy's morning feeding. However, Jack had other ideas entirely. When Sam felt an insistent prodding from behind, she opened one sleepy eye and looked at the clock. It was only 5:15!

"Jaaack," Sam whined, "I thought we were gonna sleep late."

"You sleep. I can handle this without you," he whispered, as a big hand encompassed her left breast, pulling her body back toward his. His knee nudged her outer leg up and out, and then she felt long fingers exploring her sex. She'd had a lot of wake up calls in her life, but none quite like this one! Sam groaned and pushed her ass backward, rubbing it against his hardness. Then suddenly she was on her stomach, her face pressed to the mattress, and Jack was entering her, one hand still holding her breast, while his other hand spanned her belly.

His breath puffed out into her ear, giving testament to how hard he was working to get off. For several minutes he huffed and puffed and ground into her, swiveling his hips every now and again, as he drove himself deeper and deeper. And then he was coming, grunting his relief, while Sam felt her mother's milk wetting the bed under her. This is what happens, she thought, when she didn't wear a nursing bra to bed. But what was the sense in putting in on, when a certain horny Colonel was just going to remove it! The soiled laundry was going to be piling up, but she really didn't mind; sleeping with Jack O'Neill was even better than she'd imagined it would be!

But no matter how close they were getting, even though she tried not to worry, Sam's mind would go back to the vow she had made to herself to set boundaries with him...at least until he made a commitment to her and Amy. How on earth could she establish guidelines and limits in their relationship now, when she wanted him to stay with her for always and forever?

After the early Sunday morning wake up call, Sam got up to take a shower, while Jack stayed in bed. When she came out wrapped in a towel, she sat on the edge of the bed combing her wet hair as she thought about how to broach the subject of commitment with him. She thought he was asleep until she noticed him staring at her with his chocolate eyes. Damn, but those eyes seemed to pierce her right to her soul!

"Okay, Carter, spill it," he said in a stern voice. He could tell she was thinking a lot about something, and it had her forehead furrowed with lines. He suspected that he was the subject of her current worries, and the idea disturbed him. Had he done something wrong? "I can tell you're thinking about something, and whatever it is, it's upsetting you. So tell me...what is it?"

"It's just that... Jack, don't take this the wrong way, but I made a promise to myself that I would be careful...set some boundaries...establish some guidelines." Jack raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. But he did look upset. Sam suspected she wasn't making much sense, so she tried again. "Eh... You have to realize that, even though I intend to put Amy's welfare first, I have to think about my future too, my needs."

"Oh. Sure. Right! I get the message loud and clear!" Jack figured she meant he had over-stayed his welcome...that she had tried him and found him somehow lacking, and that she wanted to see other men. And as far as he was concerned, if she wasn't interested in seeing him exclusively, then he didn't want to be here at all! He'd have to see that lawyer after all, because he would be damned before some other man raised his daughter!

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, wondering why he seemed to be in such a hurry.

"Getting dressed." Jack jumped out of bed and got dressed so fast, that Sam was startled into silence. She had never been good at personal relationships, and now this one seemed to be spiraling out of control too! She watched dumbly as he pulled on his leather jacket and grabbed his wallet and keys from the dresser. Then she literally ran after him as he strode down the hallway.

"Jack!" she cried, as he reached the front door. "Wait! Why are you leaving? I wasn't finished explaining."

"Don't bother. I get it, Sam. I may be dense sometimes, but I'm not stupid!"

"What? Jack!" But he was out the door, and she couldn't follow him because she was dressed in only a towel. Sam stood there with the door open, watching as he got into his truck and drove away. It was only when she saw her neighbor next door walking to his car that she thought to shut the door.

"Well, Sam, you certainly handled that well!" she said sarcastically.

Jack just began to drive, not even thinking about where he was going. Soon he found himself on the highway heading out of town toward the mountain, and up ahead on the right was a car parked along side the road, facing in the opposite direction. There was a woman standing next to the car. She appeared to be talking on a cell phone. Jack recognized Sandra Taylor right away. He turned his truck around, pulled up behind her car and got out. The second she saw Jack, she snapped her cell phone shut and walked up to him waving her hands.

"Oh, thank God, Jack! My engine died, and my damned cell phone won't work out here!" she cried, obviously upset. He could hear her little boy crying inside the car.

"I'll take a look," Jack offered, and he started to walk toward her car.

"Would you mind taking us home first? We've been out here for an hour now, and Tyler's really upset. If you take us home, I'll make you some breakfast before you take a look at the car," she suggested, smiling up into Jack's face.

"That sounds like too good a deal to pass up," Jack replied. "You work the night shift again?" he asked conversationally, as they walked to the back door of the car. She opened the door and reached in to get Tyler out of his car seat.

"Yeah, working Friday and Saturday nights sure puts a crimp in my social life," she said with a dry chuckle. The eighteen-month-old boy was still screaming as she carried him to Jack's truck. But as soon as the truck began to move, he quieted down. Fifteen minutes later they were at her apartment. And while Sandra cooked breakfast, Jack held Tyler and read a book to him until the boy fell asleep.

"He always has loved the sound of your voice, Jack. You should record children's books," she said with a smile. "Breakfast is ready. Would you mind putting him in bed? I'll put the food on the table."

Jack was no stranger to Sandra's apartment, so he took Tyler straight to his bedroom and put him into his bed, covering the little guy with a comforter stenciled with brightly colored zoo animals. Jack stood there for a minute just staring at the child's innocent face as he slept. He had missed little Tyler, or TT as the boy liked to call himself, since he and Sandra had broken up several months earlier, and it was good to be with him once again...good but not as good as being with his own daughter. As Jack walked quietly out of the room, he vowed he would always be a part of his daughter's life, whether Sam liked the idea or not.

After a breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs and pancakes, Jack went to take a look at Sandra's car. He was able to get it running, and then he returned to her apartment with a pair of gloves she had left in his truck.

"You fixed my car and you returned my gloves, and now you want to pick me up tomorrow morning and take me to get my car? What have I done to deserve all this attention, Jack O'Neill?"

"Except make me breakfast? Nothing yet," Jack said, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into his arms. She leaned into him without question, and Jack buried his face in her neck. She was soft and smelled good, and at the moment Jack needed to be comforted, and Sandra didn't seem to mind that he'd chosen her to do the comforting. In fact, Sandra had never minded when Jack had shown up needing comfort. After Sam had left so suddenly the year before, he had spent many nights in Sandra's bed trying to forget. It wasn't just that he wanted to forget his failure with Sam, it was good to feel needed by someone, he thought. Obviously Sam had enjoyed having sex with him. But after she'd had her fill, it seemed she didn't want to be bothered with him anymore.

Sandra and he had always gotten along well. She had never made any demands on him for something he couldn't give her, and he thought she was fun in bed. And right now he was wondering why he'd ever stopped dating her. He knew the decision had been his, and he was beginning to regret it. That he might be trying to get back at Sam for rejecting him didn't occur to Jack, who was not at all good at examining his feelings. Feelings were something he didn't like to think about, because they often confused him. And so he went with his animal instincts instead. The alpha male in Jack was telling him to go after the female who was sending him the correct signals, and Sandra's signals were clearly positive!

"Come to my room, and I'll see what else I can do to repay you for your help, Jack," Sandra purred, taking his hand in hers. Jack stayed all day, and only went home that night because he needed to get some sleep before going back to work the next morning.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

AN: To the person who asked if this story was previously posted. Yes, this story was posted for the first time in 2007 on another site that no longer exists. I cannot reply to the reviews of guests, so if you want a personal reply, please register. Thanx. ziva

Sam had tried several times to reach Jack by phone that day. She finally left a message on his answering machine, but he didn't return it. By Monday morning she was regretting having told him about Amy. She worried about what he might do to legalize his parental rights. And since it was pretty obvious he wanted nothing more to do with her, she wasn't sure she wanted him to have joint custody of her child.

By the time Sam got to the day care center, she had worked herself into a very agitated state.

"Good-morning, Sam!" Janet said quietly, coming to stand beside her. "What happened to you? You look like you didn't get much sleep this weekend. Colonel O'Neill been keeping you awake," Janet whispered, since there were three other women in the room that she didn't want over-hearing their conversation.

"I'm afraid I made a huge mistake, Jan. I can't talk about it now," she whispered back. "I'll see you at lunch. Can we eat in your office?"

"Sure! I'll save you a seat! Just kidding! We'll meet in the commissary and then take our trays to my office. See you at noon, okay?"

"Okay. See you then," Sam said, and then she kissed Amy and left. As she was walking down the hallway to the elevator, Sam was shocked to see Jack stepping out of it. Sandra Taylor was at his side, and in his arms was Tyler, Sandra's son!

"Good morning, Major Carter," Sandra said almost too loudly. It sounded like she was trying to attract attention to the fact that Jack was walking by her side. Sam knew that Sandra had seen her and Jack leave O'Malley's together that night a few weeks earlier. Sam remembered seeing Sandra watching Jack that night, and Jack had admitted to dating her in the past. And ever since Sam had been bringing Amy to the center, she had gotten some very unfriendly vibes from the woman. So the smug look on the red-head's face was not totally unexpected.

Sam barely looked at her before dropping her eyes to the floor as she walked past them, her long legs taking bigger and bigger steps, until she was almost jogging down the corridor. Instead of stopping to wait for the elevator, she moved on, finally finding herself in a corridor that was used mostly for storage. Sam used her pass key to open one of the rooms and stepped inside, shutting the door. Without turning on the light, Sam slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. Drawing her knees up to her chest she began to cry, great sobs breaking the silence of the room. She didn't know how long she sat there, but eventually she wiped her face on her sleeve and got up, sliding her hand along the wall until she found the door knob. As she left the storage room, she heard her name being called.

"Major Carter to the physics lab! Major Carter, report to the physics lab!" Great! Someone was looking for her! Sam jogged to the elevator and soon was in her lab, where Dr. Felger and his assistant were waiting for her. Fortunately there was no emergency, and so even though she'd been missed, no one was unduly upset and everything was fine...at least in her professional life. Her private life was mess!

Jack had expected to see Sam on base eventually, but not the very first five minutes on Monday morning! In a way he thought maybe it was better to get it over with, except that seeing her had hurt so much. And he was very puzzled by her reaction. Why had she seemed so upset to see him? Was it because he was with Sandra? When Sandra had spoken to Sam, Sam had barely looked at her. That she hadn't spoken to him had not surprised him that much; he had expected there would be some uneasiness between them, but this was different. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that Sam was jealous of Sandra! But if she was, then he really didn't understand Sam at all!

All morning while he was supposed to be writing mission reports, Jack kept thinking about Sam...all the things they had done together over the weekend, what she had said to him on Sunday and how she had reacted to seeing him earlier that morning. He had finally put his head down on the desk and slept. And now his neck was killing him. It was already after noon when he decided to break for lunch and stop on his way to the commissary to see Janet. She always had some terrific pain killers available. Plus he could count on her to be a good listener, and right now he really needed one.

In Janet's office, Sam and Janet were having lunch.

"I suspected there was something between you and Jack. Why on earth did you ever come back here?"

Sam had just told Janet that Jack was Amy's father, when Jack got to the door, which was open. He quickly halted his steps and turned sideways, so as not to be seen.

"I couldn't pass up a job opportunity like this, Jan! The promotion might not have come along for years either, if I hadn't accepted the position to head the science team! Also, I hoped Jack had changed and would be ready to settle down now. I wanted him to want both of us! But apparently he's only interested in bragging rights as Amy's father. When I first told him, he said he was going to make certain I could never take her away from him, like she's some kind of property or something. But when we made love, he seemed to care about me too. I guess he only cared as long as I didn't ask for anything more than sex from him. The second I began to tell him I needed to think about my future, he bolted for the door! What is it with some men and their fear of commitment, Jan?"

Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing, and not even Janet's presence was enough to stop him from barging right in.

"Commitment!? You never said anything about commitment!" he yelled as he stormed into Janet's office. Now while her office was big enough for her, there was no way it was big enough for three people, especially when one of them was a very angry, gesticulating Col. Jack O'Neill!

"Jack!" Sam yelled back.

"Colonel!" Janet yelled. "I think I'll leave the two of you alone to discuss this matter further," she said quickly, and then she left the room. "Close the door, Sir," she suggested as she walked past him, and Jack grabbed the door and slammed it shut.

"You never said you wanted a commitment from me, Sam. You said... Ah, hell, I don't remember exactly what you said, but to me it sounded like you wanted to date other guys!"

"Date other guys! I never said any such thing! I said I wanted to set some guidelines. I was afraid I was letting you take advantage of me...that your only interest in me was sexual. I was also afraid you would only continue seeing me because of Amy, and I wanted you to know that I was not going to continue our relationship, unless you wanted ME too! ...and not just for a while, but forever!" Sam shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. She really didn't want to cry in front of him!

"Oh, for cryin out loud! I thought you were telling me to take a hike!" he shouted, taking a step closer to her. He could see she was about to cry, and his first instinct was to try and comfort her. But he kept his arms at his sides, afraid to reach out to her for fear she'd reject him.

"And so you hiked right over to Sandra Taylor's house? You two looked almost like a family this morning," Sam yelled angrily. She wasn't ready yet to forgive Jack for running out on her again, and she also wondered just exactly what had transpired between him and that smug looking little bitch!

"What? Oh, that's just great! You can go play kissie face with Mr. Smart Guy, but I can't walk in here with an old friend!" Jack yelled back. He had done much more than just walk in with her. But just as he'd pointed out the day before, he was not stupid!

"I've listened to all the lies I want to hear from you, Jack O'Neill! You will never change!" Sam hissed as she tried to step around him, the tears streaming down her pale face. But Jack was not about to let her go...not now...not after she'd said she wanted him 'forever'! He grabbed her by the arm and swung her toward him, their bodies colliding, hip to hip and chest to chest. His arms came around her and she was trapped.

Just then Janet came through the door almost at a run.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need a report!" Sam and Jack jumped apart as though they'd been shot at. Janet swept to her desk, grabbed the folder and swept back out again, shutting the door. For almost fifteen seconds Jack and Sam just stood there in silence.

"I sometimes think we weren't destined to get this right, Jack," she sighed. Jack stepped toward her once again, and embraced her around the waist, pulling her forward until their faces were mere inches apart.

"I think we CAN get it right, if you're willing to try one more time?" he asked, staring into her sapphire eyes. Sam looked at his lips and then closed the distance between them, pressing her full lips to his much thinner ones. The kiss lasted for only a minute, but Jack got the message loud and clear; Sam was willing to try one more time.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

One month later on December 1st...

Janet and Sam stood in the commissary, surrounded by rolls and rolls of red and green crepe paper streamers, packages of red, white and green balloons and boxes of glass ornaments. On a nearby table there were a few cardboard boxes containing various Christmas decorations too. General Hammond was just leaving them to their task.

"Well, ladies, I'll let you get to work!"

"You don't have to leave on our account, Sir! In fact, we'd be happy to have your help, if you've got the time," Janet said.

"Actually my granddaughter has a recital tonight, and I have to be at the school in thirty minutes. Good-night, ladies!"

"Good-night, General!" they both called out, watching as the bald man left the room.

"I brought all of my tree decorations down here, because I'll be away for Christmas this year. But I will be having a New Year's Eve party," Janet assured Sam.

"Oh? Are we invited?" Sam asked with a smirk. She knew they would be. She just liked to tease her best friend, who tended to put off till tomorrow what she should have done today. In her private life Janet was a bit of a procrastinator, but at work Dr. Janet Frasier was quick and efficient.

"Yes, of course you're invited! You'll be getting your invitations one of these days. So are you and Jack planning to do anything special during the holiday break?" Sam knew that Janet and Daniel were going skiing over the holiday, and that the two were getting quite serious.

"Funny you should ask; Jack and Amy and I are going to his cabin in Minnesota for a week," Sam said, as she tried to suppress her smile. Janet took one look at her face and screamed.

"Sam! He asked you, didn't he?" Janet shouted gleefully.

"Asked me? Asked me what, Jan?" Sam asked innocently.

"You know what, Sam. Now fess up!" Janet pleaded

"If you mean did Jack ask me to go to somewhere romantic with him...then yes, he did."

"But Sam, did he ask you to marry him?"

"No, not yet. But I think he plans to while we're there," Sam assured her.

"Well, just in case, maybe you had better take along something special to wear. You know...maybe a white wool suit?"

"Actually I plan on taking a new teddy I bought at Veronica's Secret," Sam confided with a wink

"Oh! I'm sure that will put him in the mood," Janet nodded, but a wedding suit was what she had in mind, not a skimpy piece of bedroom apparel. Apparently Sam thought a romp in the hay was more important than a wedding band. If that was the case, then Jack and Sam were even more alike than she'd imagined!

"Jack doesn't need to be 'put in the mood'. I tell you, that man is the horniest..." Sam heard footsteps and stopped just in time, because who should walk in but the man himself! Jack strolled over to the table where Sam was removing the decorations from one of the boxes.

"I thought you two would be finished by now," he said with obvious annoyance. He could see that this was going to take a while, and his plans for him and Sam that evening didn't include decorating the commissary for Christmas. ...planning for their Christmas trip maybe, and a lot of hot wild sex DEFINITELY, but not THIS!

"No, Jack. Remember I told you I had a test to complete first, before I could get to this?" Sam reminded him.

"Ah, yes. Well, I wanna go home," he whined, and Sam smiled up at him. "You and Amy can go home without me, you know."

"I know, but we don't want to," he said with a pout, reaching out to put a large hand across the back of her neck. She continued to pull out decorations, while Jack's hand began to squeeze and massage her neck muscles. When he worked his hand slowly and seductively down to the middle of her lower back and his fingers stretched toward her bottom, she turned toward him suddenly, causing his hand to lose contact with her backside.

"Ja-ack, not here," she whispered, eyeing the security camera. Even though they were allowed to be together off base, touching her familiarly ON base was still a no-no. "I'll be home in a few hours," she said softly. "You take Amy home and fix dinner. I'll be home by 20:00, I promise!"

"Okay, but I'd rather you came with me," he whined some more.

"I promised Jan I'd help." They hadn't even started yet, and there was a lot to do.

"What's Daniel doing? Why can't he help? Or some of those nurses of hers?" Janet overheard him and raised an eyebrow at him. Just then Daniel, Teal'c and Ferretti walked into the big room. Ferretti whistled.

"Whoohoo, girls! The place looks better already," Ferretti joked.

"Smart ass! It WOULD look better, if you MEN had been here to help! We had to carry all this stuff down here from the parking lot by ourselves," Janet complained, but she gave Daniel an affectionate smile anyway. She knew that he had been busy working in his office, but she had a feeling Teal'c and Ferretti, and Jack as well, had been goofing off all day.

"I'll see ya later, Sam. Amy and I will be waiting, so don't be very late. Okay?" Jack squeezed her arm and let his hand slide down it, until he was gripping her fingers in his.

"I won't be. I promise!"

"Yuck! All this lovey dovey crap is making me sick! I wish you two would get married already," Ferretti complained, making a sour face.

"And who says the lovey dovey stuff ends when you get married, Ferretti?" Janet asked him. They all watched as Sam puckered up and mouthed a kiss to Jack, who mouthed one back to her as he started for the door.

"I say it does! You can ask my two ex-wives!" he replied in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Stuff it!" Jack yelled back at him, but he smiled when he said it. Then he was gone, and Sam was left standing there, staring at the doorway.

"I can help you decorate now. Then maybe you girls won't have to stay so late," Daniel offered.

"I too will assist," Teal'c said.

"Great! There's a Christmas tree in that box over there. Daniel , you can begin by putting it together for us," Janet told him.

"Teal'c, since you're tall, why don't you help Sam put up the crepe paper, the pine garland, and the mistletoe. And don't forget to use all three colors of the streamers. Twist them together like this. They will look better that way," Janet instructed, her tiny, nimble fingers turning the long pieces of paper.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Sam shouted, giving Janet a mock salute.

"What can I do?" Ferretti asked, as he stood to one side and watched, his hands on his hips.

"I don't know. What CAN you do?" Janet asked the man, her tone hinting that perhaps he was not qualified to do much of anything.

"Hey! I resent that insinuation!" he griped, and everyone laughed.

"Come on, Ferretti. You can help me with this tree. I think it's gonna take two people just to get it out of the box," Daniel said, pulling out the directions.

Sam had already cut and twisted several lengths of crepe paper garlands, and had shown Teal'c how to make more. With her guidance he strung the pine garland around the doorway and around the tops of the food cabinets. Then he got up on top of the ladder and began to affix the crepe paper streamers along the upper walls with a staple gun. Figuring this might be a good time to run down and see if Jack and remembered all of Amy's things, Sam headed down to the infirmary level, where the child care center was located. She rounded the final corner and was about to enter the room, when she noticed the door was ajar, and she could hear two people talking inside. Sam wasn't usually one to eavesdrop, but this time she couldn't help herself. The two voices she heard made her stop in her tracks and listen.

"It's not like I did this on purpose, Jack! I'm as shocked as you are. In fact the only reason I thought to run the test this soon was because someone told me you knocked up Carter. She said Amy is yours. Anyway, that made me stop and think that we should have used protection. Well, I guess we should have alright, because now I'm pregnant!"

"Shit, Sandra! This is just peachy!" Jack yelled.

"I'm sorry! God, you act like I planned it or something!" Sandra yelled back.

"Did you?" Jack asked, the low timber of his voice making it almost unrecognizable. But Sam could tell when he was angry, and right now he was VERY angry.

"No! After Tyler, are you kidding? I never wanted to have another kid! In fact I don't much want this one! I just wish it wasn't yours," she whined. "You know how I feel about you, Jack," she said softly...so softly that Sam could just barely hear her. Sam edged closer to the door, so she could hear better. Her chest actually hurt, but there was no way she wasn't going to hear what Jack had to say to the woman!

"I know. And I'm sorry. I really am." Apparently Sandra was encouraged by his response, so she continued to work on him.

"You say you love Sam, but if you really do, why haven't you married her? You two even have a kid, and still you haven't married her. Maybe you just don't want to be chained to anyone, Jack. Maybe you're not made that way. Or maybe you're afraid someone like Sam is just not right for a guy like you," she suggested. "We're good together. You know that. And I wouldn't mind just living with you...raising our child together. You wouldn't have to marry me."

Sam waited, trembling with trepidation, to hear what he would say next. Would he choose Sandra over her, this new baby over Amy? God, she was dying inside, but she had to hear Jack's answer.

"Sandra, we've had this discussion before. You know I don't love you."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I can't raise two children by myself, Jack!"

"I...I don't know. I can't think straight right now. I'm going home. I'll call you later," he said.

Sam backed up, turned around and headed down the hallway as fast as she could. She wasn't even sure why, but for some reason she didn't want Jack to know she'd been snooping.

Sam went back to the commissary and began working alongside the others, although her mind was not on the task at hand. She could think of nothing else but Jack and the fact that he had lied to her about sleeping with Sandra. And soon she'd have to go home and face him, and she had no idea what she was going to do or say.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

AN: Be sure to check out my new e-books. Next release in early FEB 2014. Go to www . stargateforever .com or mariecaron .com.

When Sam got home after helping to decorate the commissary, she found Jack in the bedroom giving Amy a bottle of the expressed breast milk she had left in the refrigerator. If there was one thing she knew about Jack, it was that he was very conscientious and reliable with the baby. Knowing that, it was very hard for Sam to believe that he had been so thoughtless and irresponsible. But she had heard his conversation with Sandra, which had left no room for doubt. Jack had been unfaithful to her, and now Sandra was pregnant with Jack's child.

Jack looked up and saw Sam standing in the doorway watching him. She looked tired. But there was something else in her face too, although he wasn't sure what. Was it disappointment, frustration, or doubt he saw there...or all three? He had decided that he had to tell her about Sandra and the baby, and he felt badly that he would have to add to her worries. Would their lives never be easy!

"Our dinner's keeping warm in the oven. I'll have her down in a couple of minutes, and then we can eat. Why don't you take a shower and change into something comfortable," he suggested.

"Yes...I guess I will."

Sam stepped to the walk-in closet and moved around like she was in a trance. With trembling hands she pulled out some sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Then she got a clean pair of panties from her dresser and took everything into the bathroom. Five minutes later she had showered, put on the clean, warm clothing and had combed through her wet hair, which had grown to the middle of her back. She had been thinking about cutting it, but Janet kept talking her out of it. And actually she like the feminine feeling it gave her. Although right at this moment, feeling feminine or not was the least of her worries.

In truth, she was so upset that she doubted she could eat a bite of the dinner Jack had prepared. What she was going to do and what she was going to say to him were first and foremost in her mind, and her thoughts had her stomach churning as she opened the bathroom door. Jack was just laying Amy down in her bed. He had his back to her and so she just stood there, enjoying watching him as she always did. He was just so sweet and gentle with Amy, and he loved her a lot, of that she had no doubt. But how on earth was he going to go on being a good father to her, when he would have another child to whom he owed his attentions?

Jack had heard the bathroom door open and sensed that Sam was watching him. He was worried about how quiet she was, but not as worried as he was about telling her his news. But he knew he had to tell her, no matter how much it hurt her...no matter how terrified he was of losing her. His short-lived affair with Sandra was something he couldn't lie about any longer.

"Hey! I bet a little dinner will perk you up. You look tired," he commented as he walked over to where she stood in front of the bathroom door. He slipped his hand in hers and guided her down the hallway to the kitchen. Giving her a little shove toward the table, he told her to sit down and he'd get the plates out of the oven. He had made one of her favorite meals, baked chicken breast with mushroom gravy, creamed peas with pearl onions, and mashed potatoes. Jack prided himself on his cooking. And since he had moved in three weeks ago, he had cooked most of their dinners. Sam usually worked later than him anyway, so the arrangement worked well for both of them.

Jack placed the warm plates on the kitchen table. Then he poured Sam a glass of mineral water and got himself a bottle of beer. He sat down and began to eat, but Sam just sat there, moving the peas around on the plate with her fork. Then all of a sudden she began to cry, great gut-wrenching sobs shaking her shoulders as she slumped in her chair.

Sam had felt the tears building inside her, but she had been unable to stop them. She was a fool and a failure! Oh, sure, she had a good job...a great job really. But her personal life was a shambles! She'd had a daughter without being married, which was something she swore she'd never do. She had been fooled into thinking that Amy's father had changed, and just today she had found out that he had once again gotten a woman pregnant...apparently another woman he had no intention of marrying.

Sam dropped her fork to the plate with a dull clank and stood up, as Jack's mouth fell open. "Sam, what is it? What's wrong, honey?" he asked, sliding his chair back. He stood up and stepped around the table, reaching out to her, but Sam backed away and managed to avoid his hand.

"No! Don't touch me," she cried, her voice choked with tears. She still had her paper napkin in her hand, and she used it now to try and stem the flow of her tears. But it was no use. They ran down her flushed cheeks and dripped off her jaw and chin onto her t-shirt, as her chest heaved with each breath she took. She felt like she was hyperventilating, and if she didn't calm down very soon, she was going to pass out. Sam went into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

Jack followed along after her, not knowing what to do or say. He knew this was bad...really bad! But at first he had no idea what could have upset her so much. Jack sat down on the coffee table facing her, their knees touching. Sam quickly backed up, leaving space between their bodies. That she didn't want to touch him in any way really scared him. What could have caused her to feel this way? Then it occurred to him. The one thing that could make her this upset was exactly what he'd decided he had to tell her. Somehow Sam had found out about him and Sandra! For a split second he wondered if Sandra had told her.

"Sam, I think I know what's wrong. It's about Sandy, isn't it?" Her expression gave him the answer he needed. "Please, baby! You've got to let me explain," he pleaded. He would beg if he had to. He didn't care, because he'd rather die than lose her now!

"Yes, you explain it to me," she said, gulping a breath of air. "How could you do it! How the hell could you sleep with that woman? We were apart for less than a day, Jack! What did you do, run from here straight to her door?!"

"No. No, listen! I know I made a terrible mistake, Sam. My only excuse is that I really believed that you'd grown tired of me and wanted me to leave. I was hurt and Sandra just happened to be there at the side of the rode that day. Her car had broken down, and I took her and Tyler home. And she was kind and understanding, and I needed to feel wanted, and I needed her comfort. Sam, you've got to understand how I felt! I thought you didn't want me anymore. I was hurt and I was angry too. And...I may have wanted to hurt you back. I wasn't thinking straight, I admit it."

"I guess I'm lucky this happened now...before I devoted any more years of my life to you. One argument...one misunderstanding and you would be out the door and into some other woman's bed within minutes!"

"No, I wouldn't! It won't ever happen again! I promise you!"

"I'm tired of your excuses and your apologies. They obviously don't mean a damned thing to you. Get your stuff and get out of my house!" Sam hissed through gritted teeth. Then she curled up on the sofa in a fetal position and turned her back on him.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

Sam had just told him to get out of her house, but Jack was not leaving so willingly. He had made a mistake and he'd admitted as much, but she was at fault too.

"Sam, please," he begged as he reached out his hand hesitantly to touch her shoulder. When she flinched and pulled away, Jack withdrew his hand, but he didn't leave.

Jack wasn't about to let this end their relationship, not when he knew he loved her and that she loved him. He could feel himself growing angry as he stared at the back of her head. He hated being shut out! He hated being blamed for this whole mess! It wasn't just his fault; she had played a part in it too!

"Sam, I'm not gonna let you do this to us!" Jack shouted, his voice rising in anger. "I love you, damn it! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" he shouted at her, but Sam remained motionless, her hands gripping her biceps, hugging her knees to her chest. Jack shook her shoulder, and Sam resisted, refusing to turn around or look at him.

"You are not going to ignore me! We can work this out, Sam! I love you! And I'm not losing you and Amy over this! Look at me!" he shouted again, grabbing her left arm with his strong hand and pulling it around and up. His long fingers gripped her like a steel vice, pulling her body toward him until she was laying on her back, both of his hands now trapping her arms, her hands fisted at the sides of her head. He knew he was bruising her, but he didn't care. Once her back was flat on the sofa, he climbed over her, straddling her body, kneeling on either side of her hips. Looking down on her like this... her long hair still damp and mussed...her full breasts peeking through the fabric of the thin t-shirt...her eyes, when he could get a glimpse of them, wild and hurt... she looked so unlike her usual, poised self. He had really turned both their lives upside down, and he knew it. But right now all he could make sense of was that he needed to prove to her how much he wanted her...ONLY her!

Sam turned her face away. She was unable to stop him from turning her body toward him, but she would be damned if she'd look at him! Then he was bending down over her, and his mouth was on her...teeth nipping the side of her neck, her jaw, her left earlobe. And he wasn't being gentle. She could feel his teeth scraping her skin, probably leaving marks that wouldn't heal any quicker than her broken heart. But she didn't care if he hurt her or not. She just lay there while Jack plundered her body with his mouth, his heavy weight pressing down on her, as though he didn't care if he crushed the life out of her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, his heart hammering in time to the same beat.

How could she resist him, when he was so damned good at this? Sam loved the feel of him; he was heavy and hard and strong as he lay on top of her. And even though she tried to ignore the feelings he was stirring inside her, she couldn't. God help her, she thought, because she wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anything or anyone! Instinctively she nuzzled the side of his Jack's head with hers, as he released her arms from his bruising grip. Then his hands slid up her sides and to her chest, to caress her tender mounds and stimulate her already engorged nipples.

Sam moaned, wanting more of what he had to give. She could feel her breast milk wetting the front of her t-shirt, and she almost laughed at the impossibly ludicrous notion that she should have worn a bra. Whether she had worn one or not wouldn't have mattered much to a man like Jack; he'd have the thing off in record time anyway! Sam gasped when Jack pulled at the neckline of her t-shirt, ripping it down the middle.

She had intended to show him that she didn't care one way or the other what he did to her...that nothing he did would make any difference to her. But gradually, as his lips and teeth teased and tormented her breasts, turning her into a pool of quivering flesh, she realized that she had failed once again to resist him. When it came to this man, everything he did made a difference! Everything he did affected her...not just what he'd done with Sandra, but what he'd done to her in the past...and what he was doing to her right this very minute! She couldn't ignore the feelings he stirred inside her, no matter how much she might want to do so, and she couldn't ignore the love she'd felt for him since that day in the ice cave. That love was not dead, no matter how much she tried to pretend that it was...no matter what he might do, deliberately or otherwise, to kill it. It thrived deep inside her...like a flame that would never go out...like a flower that would never stop blooming.

Giving in to her love for him, Sam's arms came around his neck, her hands clutching greedily at his head...his soft hair feeling like silk between her fingers. She pulled him up until they were face to face, and then she stared at him, the color of her eyes seeming much bluer when set in red, swollen lids. She had cried till she couldn't cry anymore, but the physical effects of her tears were still very apparent.

"Don't you ever do anything so stupid again, Jack O'Neill," Sam pleaded, her raspy voice sounding unfamiliar even to her.

"Don't ever let me leave here like that again, Sam. I mean it! If we get into it over anything, no matter what it might be, tie me down! Lock me up! I don't care what you do...just never let me go!" Jack pleaded right before his mouth found hers, his thin, hard lips bruising her much softer ones...his tongue sliding over her pink, bubble gum lips and into her warm, wet mouth. He tasted her sweet breath, inhaling it like the very oxygen that was necessary to keep him alive. She bwas/b necessary to keep him alive! He wanted her...he bneeded/b her more than anything! With rough, precise movements he pulled her pants and underwear over her hips and down her smooth, shapely thighs, leaving them gathered around her knees. Sam frantically used her feet to push them all the way off, while Jack unzipped his jeans and wiggled out of them and his boxers, kicking them to the floor. Sam opened her legs to welcome him, hugging his hips with her thighs. One arm around her shoulders, Jack leaned on an elbow, while using his other hand to guide his throbbing erection to her slick, wet entrance. He sheathed himself almost totally inside her in one smooth move and then stopped, his forehead resting against the brown-sugar-freckle-spattered skin of her neck, while he tried to calm his pounding heart. He took a deep breath, inhaling the floral scents of her shampoo and lotion. They were smells that made him feel at home...calm and at peace with himself...and he needed that feeling now more than ever before.

"I love you, Sam," he told her, his words muffled in her neck. And then he began to move his hips, rocking them backward and forward, driving his entire nine-inch-length into her quivering flesh. Sam clutched at his back and shoulders, moving her hands from place to place, nails scratching his tanned skin as she moaned in acquiesence. His hard, mostly smooth shaft polished her narrow passage with each thrust, filling her and stretching her to the limit. The muscles in his toned ass clinched and released repeatedly, and his hips quickened their pace as he got closer and closer to completion.

He could feel his balls tightening as they prepared to send his essence coursing through his penis and into her waiting womb, and Jack knew he would not last long now. But he wanted Sam to enjoy their coupling as much as he did, and so he lifted up a bit and reached down between them, circling her clit with his middle finger, but never quite touching it. Then he dipped his finger down to where they were joined, gathering her juices...repeatedly teasing the little nodule, until Sam could stand the torture no longer.

"For God's sake, touch me!" she hissed.

Jack swept over the top of her clitoris, flicking the tiny pyramid with just the pad of his finger. Swollen as it was and yearning for his touch, with just the second touch of his talented digit Sam screamed, her back arched and the fire in her belly ignited her entire nervous system.

"Jack! Oh, Jack! Ah...Ah...Ah...Ahhhhhhhhh!" she cried out, her legs clasping his narrow hips tightly, the same way the muscles of her vagina clasped his manhood. When he felt her come, Jack let go of the powerful surge he'd been holding back. He could surrender now, knowing that she'd been satisfied.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

They'd had a couple of rough months since Sam had returned to the SGC. But as Jack drove along the muddy road toward his cabin with Sam by his side and Amy in the back seat, he thought that maybe the worst was over. He hadn't heard anymore from Sandra, but he had seen her flirting with Major Davis on and off the base a few times in recent days. And as far as Jack was concerned, her claim that the baby she was carrying was his...if indeed there even was a baby...was probably wishful thinking on her part. He decided to let the subject alone for now and see what happened.

He was going to devote all his efforts to making a home for Sam and Amy. More than anything he wanted to turn their shaky relationship into a stable one that would last the rest of their lives. They already had a beautiful, healthy baby girl, who was showing indications that she was smart like her mother. Sam often pointed out that Amy looked like Jack…whether to appease him or not, he didn't know… but he did know it didn't sit very well with him. He preferred to think she looked like Sam, who in his estimation was one of the most beautiful women on earth.

"Now who's lost in thought?" Sam asked, squeezing his hand as she studied his serious expression. They had left the main highway about fifteen minutes earlier, and Sam was beginning to wonder if Jack had been so lost in thought, that he'd literally gotten lost!

"Ah...well, you have a way of doing that to me," he said, turning to give her a crooked smile.

"I hope thinking about me hasn't gotten us lost," Sam said hopefully.

"Nope! In fact we're almost there."

"You said that an hour ago," she reminded him with a wide-eyed grin.

"I did, and it was true. See! Here we are! Chateau O'Neill!" Jack yelled. Without realizing it, he had startled their daughter, who let out a loud wail. Jack, who was half Irish, frequently equated Amy's cry with that of a Banshee. Jack had once told Sam that he hoped he wasn't the man their little Banshee was crying over, but he hadn't explained the rest to Sam, thinking she might not appreciate the superstitious tale.

"Oh, oh. Sorry, honey! Daddy didn't mean to scare you!" he called out over the cries of the baby. Sam reached back and took hold of one of Amy's feet, swaddled as it was inside a soft, thick snow suit. The baby quieted almost immediately, her blue eyes locating and settling on her mother's smiling face.

Even with the heater on inside the rental car, it was still cold. ...not that Sam was complaining! She loved the big trees literally dripping in snow, and the remoteness of the place just added to its special qualities. Spending Christmas at Jack's cabin had been a fantasy of Sam's since she'd first heard him talk about the place. And now that it was actually coming true, Sam was very excited. As soon as the car rolled to a stop, she jumped out and began removing Amy from her infant seat.

Jack ran up onto the porch of the little log cabin and unlocked the door, pushing it wide open. Then he ran back to the trunk of the car as fast as he dared, considering there was a fresh layer of snow on the newly shoveled driveway. He had called an old friend who lived nearby, and Jeff had come over and cleared the way for the little rental car. But it had obviously snowed again earlier in the day. It was times like this that Jack really missed his big truck, but driving all the way from Colorado Springs would have wasted several days of their precious vacation time, and so they had flown to Duluth and then rented a car. After a three hour flight and two hours of driving, they were finally here!

With one look, Sam decided that Jack's descriptions of the cabin and the surrounding forest hadn't done it justice. And she hadn't even seen the lake yet! But so far it was like a winter wonderland, and Sam thought it was even more lovely than she had imagined. Sam almost expected iridescent-winged fairies to flit out and surround her as she lugged Amy's car seat toward the house.

Jack deposited their luggage in the living room and ran back to help Sam. He took the baby, grabbing the sturdy seat by the handle, while Sam went back to get the diaper bag, and the boxes of disposable diapers they'd bought after they arrived in Duluth. After depositing the infant seat on the floor in the kitchen, Jack went back to the car to help Sam carry the other baby items they had purchased in the city, as well as the bags of groceries. Sam pushed her hip against the car door, slamming it shut once the boxes and bags were removed.

After they got everything arranged and put away inside the little cabin, and Amy was all tucked away in the bed they'd made for her, in an easy chair in front of the fireplace, Jack started a fire. Even though there was an electric heater in each of the three rooms, and Jeff had remembered to turn them on the day before, a fire was always nice and added a certain ambiance to the place, Jack decided. Sam agreed and soon they were curled up together on the sofa, staring into the orange flames, with an old quilt pulled up over their legs. Sam rested her head on Jack's chest as she snuggled down between the back of the sofa and his long, hard body. With both arms around his waist, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had her man, her baby girl and they were here together in a magical place. What could be better, she thought as she began to drift off to sleep.

"Sam, honey?" Jack asked quietly, as he gently rubbed her arm under the blanket.

"Hmmm?" she asked melodiously.

"We can sleep out here by the fire, but we need to open the sofa." Sam roused herself and stood up, managing to help Jack remove the sofa cushions and unfold the bed. Then he went and got a stack of blankets and pillows and made the bed, while Sam checked on Amy who had begun to fuss. Once the sofa bed was made, Sam picked up the baby and brought her into bed with her and Jack. She sat leaning against two pillows and the back of the sofa while she fed Amy. Jack rested his chin on one elbow, his face just above Amy's little head as she sucked greedily at Sam's breast.

"Lucky kid," he observed, and Sam chuckled.

"No more lucky than you, Mister!"

"Well, maybe." He continued to watch their daughter nuzzle Sam's breast while making little snuffling noises. He hoped she wasn't getting a cold, he thought absently. Putting that worry to the back of his mind, Jack concentrated on the thing that was weighing most on his mind...and his heart. Jack had some things he wanted to say to Sam, and he figured that now was as good a time as any, so he decided to begin.

"Sam, I know this thing with Sandra was...is very upsetting, and I really don't know what's going to happen. The only thing I do know is that I intend to insist upon a paternity test, if and when the child is born, and then I'll decide exactly what to do. But no matter what happens, I want you to know that I won't let Sandra interfere in our life together. I want the three of us to be a family. I love you, Sam," he said softly, lifting his head to kiss her on the cheek. Wanting more, Sam tipped her face down and they kissed on the lips...just a short kiss, but filled with wonderful promises.

"I know you do. And I love you too, Jack."

"I never thought I would love another woman after Sara, but then you came along and knocked the blocks out from under me. The first time I saw you, I was totally blown away. Even though I was still married, I wanted you. Then when you told me what had happened in Antarctica, I didn't know what to do. I wanted you, but I figured you wanted your career more than you wanted me. I understood that. I really did! Anyway, rather than let you know how much you meant to me, I acted like I was just in it for the sex. What you didn't know was that I was really hurt when you left. And I'll always regret letting you go. I should have stopped you or gone after you. I was a fool, Sam."

"No, Jack. You weren't. I wouldn't have known then what I wanted anyway. I was confused. Let's not talk about that anymore, okay? We can't go back. Let's just look forward to the future," Sam suggested. She appreciated that he wanted to tell her what he was feeling, but she really didn't want him to concentrate on regrets and what they did wrong. She wanted them both to concentrate on building a future together. But to Sam's surprise, Jack was not finished talking about his feelings.

"I thought I was doing so well on my own. But when I saw you again, I knew I wanted you to be a part of my life. But I was also afraid. I thought you deserved things I couldn't give you, like a home and a family. Then I found out about our girl here. I'm not very proud of some of the things I've done, Sam,...especially lately...and I intend to work harder to be more responsible. I know I just took one major step backward, but if nothing else, it taught me a lesson; I need to communicate better with you. I need to stop making assumptions about your feelings, and I need to tell you how I feel," he said finally.

"Wow! Jack O'Neill just bared his heart and soul to me! And he talked about feeling feelings!" Sam gave him a throaty chuckle and rolled her eyes. She was trying to keep this light, but she could feel the tears beginning to gather on her lower lids. She smiled at him through her tears and leaned over to kiss the top of his head. Then she lifted up and watched as his lips brushed the top of Amy's head. They watched as her tiny bow of a mouth let go of Sam's tit, glistening drops of mother's milk surrounding the tiny lips and dribbling down the baby's wee chin. Sam wiped Amy's chin and mouth with a cotton diaper and turned her little body around. Then she held her up to the opposite breast, which Amy latched onto without any problem, sucking the tit and part of the areola in between her small, pink lips. Loud sucking noises filled the small room, and both Sam and Jack laughed to hear such loud sounds coming from such a small baby.

"She has her father's voracious appetite," Sam told him, and Jack smiled proudly.

"Well, she's got your eyes, your brains, your long legs, and the same gender as you. She has to have something of mine!" he laughed.

"She has your hair, your nose and your smile, don't forget!"

"Okay, then I guess we're even," he declared. "She should be asleep soon. I'll get up and fix us some supper. Fried egg sandwich okay by you?" he asked, pulling on his boots.

"'Break the yellow! And I want bacon on mine...crisp!" Sam insisted. "And orange juice to drink."

"You got it! Anything you want." He was gonna give Sam anything and everything she wanted from now on, and he was never going to do anything that would hurt her...not ever!

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

After supper in front of the fire, they made love with Amy sleeping just a few feet away. Sam had gotten over her earlier qualms about 'doing it in front of the baby', and needless to say Jack was very relieved. He planned on living at Sam's house full-time while his larger house was being renovated, and he intended to 'do it' to Sam as often as possible!

Jack had decided to remodel part of his house to suit his growing family. He was also going to modernize the outdated kitchen and add a swimming pool to the backyard. But he hadn't told Sam about all his plans yet. Jack had decided to save that bit of news till later on. He had other more important things to discuss with her first!

Jack came out of his mind's meanderings and looked up at the woman he loved. Sam's body was poised above his, her back to him...a line of sweat glistening on her smooth, freckled skin. She sat across his hips, her nakedness revealed in the pale glow from the fireplace. Nothing, he thought, could be lovelier than the sight of Samantha Carter, her normally pale skin flushed pink with the heat of arousal. And much to his joy, it was apparent that two orgasms weren't enough for this tireless lover of his! After he had literally sucked her dry, she had initiated this position and was about to ride him like some midnight cowgirl on a bar room bull! He watched as she tipped her hips forward and plunged herself down on his sturdy erection, taking all nine inches of him at once. And for a beat Jack thought he would pass out.

"God! Sam, baby, that feels so damned good!" he hissed. "Now move for me, honey. Rock those hips and ride me! Yah!" Jack cried softly, keeping his voice low for the sake of the sleeping infant. Covering Sam's hips with his big hands, he guided her movements, urging her on faster and faster until both of them were perspiring and breathing hard and fast. They had both decided weeks ago that they loved this position, as it afford both of them the most friction, if not the deepest penetration. Sam reached down between her legs and began to rub her clit with her middle finger, dipping into her fluids and then slipping the pad of her sex-drenched finger over the little peak.

"Jack, help me," Sam begged as she felt that familiar burning sensation building in her womb. Her clit was over-stimulated from their earlier activities, but nothing was going to keep her from having another orgasm!

Jack knew immediately what she needed and placed his right hand on her ass. His fingers were splayed, bridging the gap between her two soft mounds, as his thumb found her tight, puckered hole. He shoved it inside none to gently, and heard Sam groan in appreciation of the pleasurable pain. And then she got to work once again, riding him like there was no tomorrow.

Using her long thigh muscles to lift and lower her pussy on his rock-hard shaft, Sam carried both of them closer to delirium. Jack was past being ready, but as usual he held back...waiting for his lover to take what she needed. Soon Sam let out a cry that Jack felt certain was heard in his neighbor's house, a mile down the road. Fortunately Amy, who by now was used to hearing her parents make love, slept through the whole event. Although he was much quieter when he came, Jack soon followed Sam into a state of satisfied bliss. Right before he fell asleep he laughed to himself. He had a real tiger on his hands, and he loved it!

By the time they woke up the next day, the bright, yellow sunlight was shining across their makeshift bedroom, striking Jack in the face. He looked at the clock on the mantel and wondered if the thing had stopped. It couldn't really be 09:10, could it? He never slept this late for one thing, and for another, Amy certainly never did! Jack threw back the blanket, exposing Sam's naked body to the cold morning air and ran over to the child. She was laying on her back, eyes closed as though sleeping, and he could hear her breathing...short, gasping sounds that sounded like her nose was totally stuffed up. That was not good, but the worse thing was that she was obviously burning up! Jack laid a hand on her rosy cheek. It was not just warm, she was on fire!

By this time Sam was totally awake and reaching for something to wrap around herself. Dragging the blanket from the sofa with her, she came to stand at Jack's side just as turned to look at her. He looked positively scary, and Sam's heart almost stopped in her chest when he stared at her with those black, intense eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking down at their oddly quiet daughter. Sam knew from the full feeling in her breasts that they had somehow skipped her 2am feeding, and yet Amy wasn't awake and asking to be fed! Something must be very wrong!

"She's really sick, Sam! She's got a fever. We've got to get her temperature down now!" They both sprang into action. Jack picked up the sleeping baby while Sam dropped the blanket and ran to the kitchen sink, turning on the cold water tap. She inserted the rubber stopper in the drain and began filling the sink with water. Jack laid Amy on the counter and removed her clothing, while Sam ran to get towels from the linen closet. When she came back, Jack already had Amy's lower half submerged in the water. That the baby wasn't protesting this rude action really terrified Sam, who had never been around a sick child before...at least not one so young and helpless!

Jack lowered Amy further into the cold water, supporting her head and back. Suddenly her tiny arms jerked away from her body and began to flail the air, as she sucked in a deep breath through her mouth. She let out a cry and opened her eyes, staring up at her father's concerned face.

"There you are, Amy! I wondered when you were gonna complain about this," he said gently. He had known that Amy was unconscious the second he saw her, but he hadn't said anything to Sam. He could tell she was rattled enough as it was, and he didn't want to scare her any further.

"Open the towels, and take her," he instructed. Sam opened two towels together and laid them across her outstretched arms. Jack placed the crying infant into her mother's arms and folded the towels over her. Sam gently wrapped her daughter in the towels and held her close, while Jack used the ends of the towels to dry her feet and legs. Then he worked on her little arms, massaging them with soft touches as he crooned to the very distressed child. Even when she was dry, Sam didn't want to put her down long enough to put a diaper on her. He tried to remove Amy from her arms, but Sam pulled away from him, clutching the crying infant even tighter to her chest. Jack could see that Sam was close to losing it, and he knew she would respond better if he gave her an order.

"Give her to me! Sam, I'm not asking you...I'm ordering you!" Sam gave him the baby, who was still crying, but not as hard. Then he carried her to the guest room...the one they had intended for Amy to use this week. They hadn't even had time to get her settled into it, and already this had happened. Jack just shook himself mentally and began to grab Amy's clothes out of the small suitcase on the spare bed. Sam followed right along behind him and was just standing, as though in a trance, at his elbow. She was still naked and Jack was beginning to worry about her. He didn't have on much more, having only put on his boxers after their final sexual encounter, but he wasn't worried about himself; Amy and Sam were all that mattered to him!

"I'm gonna dress Amy. You go get dressed, Sam, and put on your coat and your boots! Go on now! Do as I say, Major!" he ordered, and Sam reluctantly left the little guest room. Soon he had their daughter dressed in a clean diaper and a one-piece sleeper. He left her on the bed covered with a blanket, while he ran to their bedroom, figuring he'd put on the baby's outdoor clothing after he was all dressed. No sense in making her too hot while she waited, he decided. Amy had stopped crying by now, but she wasn't fussing to be fed, and her eyes didn't seem to be making contact with his. Jack was very worried, but he didn't let on to Sam, who he could tell was just a fraction of an inch from flipping out.

When he got to their bedroom, Sam was finished dressing, having pulled on a pair of jeans, a pull-over sweater and her boots. She slipped into her coat as she looked at him. Her eyes looked like dark pits in her ghostly face. He had never seen her so scared...so quiet and uncertain before, but then this kind of emergency was very new to her...and very personal. This wasn't just some mission! This was their child's life that was at stake!

"We have to take her to the emergency room, Sam," he said as he dressed, looking at Sam's distraught face. He wasn't sure exactly how much she was understanding just now. Her answer relieved his mind somewhat, but he knew she was still having a problem dealing with this.

"I know. I'll put her coat and bonnet on now," she replied, and then she went to get their daughter ready for the trip to the hospital.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen

They had been in the emergency waiting room for what seemed like forever. Sam was pacing back and forth, and even though he was sitting quietly, he knew exactly what she was feeling. At first, when she'd been literally man-handled and removed from the cubicle where they had taken their baby daughter, Sam had been angry...even at him. But he had spoken comfortingly to her and had finally convinced her that it was for Amy's own good...that the doctors needed to look at her without any interference from either of them.

Sam glanced at Jack as she walked up and down the hall near where he sat. That Jack was able to keep his cool and remain calm at a time like this was amazing to Sam. She could recall many times in the past when she'd had to convince him to control his emotions during a difficult mission. She had always been the cool-headed one, not him! But now their roles were reversed.

"Sam, come and sit with me," he begged, thinking she needed to rest before she collapsed. Sam silently did as he asked. He gripped her much smaller hand in his big callused one, resting his forearm across his thigh. He let their joined hands hang down between his knees, as she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder. Jack looked down, examining her hand as though it were the most interesting thing in the world.

Suddenly he spoke. "This brings it all back," he said, his voice sounding choked and unfamiliar to her. At first Sam didn't know what he meant, and then suddenly it dawned on her. He must be referring to when his son shot himself! Jack glanced up at her and then quickly looked down at their joined hands again, but she had seen his eyes long enough to realize he was on the verge of tears. The poor guy might be calm on the outside, but that didn't mean he wasn't suffering on the inside!

"I'm so sorry, Jack. I wasn't thinking! This must be very difficult for you, but I think you're coping amazingly well considering. And I'm very sorry that I've not been much help. In fact I don't know what I would have done without you! When I saw Amy so unresponsive like that...well, I've just never been so terrified before! In fact, if they don't come out of there and tell us something soon, I'm gonna..." But Sam's vow was interrupted by the doctor coming out and walking straight over to them. Jack and Sam stood up with a start.

"Doctor, how is she?" Jack asked him. The doctor ignored Jack and spoke directly to Sam.

"I'm Dr. Nielsen. I'm in charge of the emergency room today. I take it you're the child's mother?" asked the tall, blonde man.

"Yes, I am. Is she okay?" Sam asked him, her heart hammering inside her chest. If she wasn't okay, Sam wasn't sure she could take it!

"Your daughter has pneumonia. Her temperature was still very high when you brought her in, but what you did probably saved her life." Jack and Sam looked at one another, and Sam squeezed his hand. It was Jack who had used his head in this emergency, not her. Sam was shocked to think she could have been so blind to her daughter's condition.

"Has she had any cold symptoms lately?" the doctor asked, as he removed his eyeglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, she's had some nasal congestion for a few days," Sam answered him, feeling like a total failure as a mother. Maybe she wasn't cut out to be a mother! Maybe she didn't have those natural instincts that everyone claimed would just come to her!

"The rhinovirus is probably the source of the pneumonia. It's actually quite common among children, specially those in day care," he stated.

"She's been in a day care facility for the past two months. I just knew I should have kept her at home!"

"No, I don't think most doctors would agree with you. It's actually much better in the long run to expose the child to common viruses. Don't blame yourself. She's resting comfortably now, and we're treating her intravenously with antibiotics. Are you breast feeding her?"

"Yes, I am. Can I feed her soon?" Sam asked him. Now that she thought about it, her breasts were leaking and aching at the same time.

"Possibly. If not, you can express you milk and store it here for when she's able to eat. But first we'll be moving her to the children's wing. It's up on the third floor. You can go up with her when she's moved. But first there's something else I need to speak to you about. Come into my office where we can talk," he said mysteriously. Jack followed along down the corridor. But when they got to the doctor's office, the doctor turned to him and held an arm between him and Sam. "I'm sorry, I need to speak to just the child's mother...alone," he said, somewhat rudely.

"I'm her father fer crying out loud!" Jack said a little too loudly. Now this was more like the fiery Jack O'Neill Sam knew and loved! But still she didn't want Jack to get too upset; she knew how verbally abusive he could become when riled up.

"Anything you tell me, you can tell Jack. He's Amy's natural father," Sam confirmed. The doctor waved them inside and indicated two chairs facing his desk. They all sat down.

"I'm sorry. I was just following hospital procedure, and her admission forms indicated that only you, Ms. Carter, are her legal parent."

"That's correct. Jack and I aren't married," Sam replied, looking at Jack's profile. She could see he was getting angrier by the second.

All of this chit chat was making Jack very anxious and angry, so he decide to speed things up a bit. "What's wrong with our baby, doctor?" Jack asked, his tone leaving no doubt that he expected an answer...NOW!

"I won't lie to you; I'm a bit puzzled. Amy is suffering from some sort of...for want of a better descriptive phrase...'an infection of the blood' like I've never seen before! There is an element in her blood, and quite frankly, I don't know what it is." He looked at Sam's face that had gone ashen, and then he looked at Jack's confused expression before continuing.

"She is one sick little girl right now, but I'm hoping the antibiotics we're giving her will take care of the streptococcal pneumonia. As for the other thing, all I can suggest for now is that we keep a close eye on her. I won't lie to you; she may need a total blood transfusion. Under the circumstances, I would not feel comfortable giving her anyone's blood but yours...and yours, of course, Mister..." The doctor looked at Jack who just looked dumbfounded. He didn't give a rat's ass what the guy called him. He could call him 'Jack shit' for all he cared! What he wanted to know was, was this fella saying their daughter was seriously ill, or wasn't he?

"I'm sorry. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill. I'm actually Major Samantha Carter. We're both in the Air Force," Sam explained, while Jack tried to make some sense of what the doctor had said.

"Doctor, let me get this straight; are you saying our baby could die of whatever this is that's in her blood?"

"I'm really not sure. I almost hesitated to tell you, but I finally thought it best for you to know, just in case whatever this is has some effect on her ability to fight off illnesses like viral infections. I should know more about how she's reacting to the antibiotics in a few hours. In the meantime, I think we should take blood from both of you, just in case."

"Of course," Jack said, standing up. He was ready and willing to do anything to help his baby daughter. Sam stood up and reached for Jack's hand. All of this was scaring her to death! And she knew without a doubt that without Jack here by her side, she would not have been able to handle everything that was being thrown at her. Military training prepared a person to handle a lot of things, but it did not prepare anyone for a seriously sick child, Sam decided.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter twenty

They followed the doctor back to the emergency room and were finally allowed to see Amy, who was laying in a small, Lucite crib with a tiny tube coming out of her body. The tube was attached to an iv bottle. Amy appeared to be asleep. Dr. Nielsen went to the nurses' station for a few minutes. When he returned he was smiling.

"Good news! Her temperature is already coming down. We can move her upstairs now. When she wakes up you can try feeding her," the doctor told them. Sam didn't have to be told what this meant; if her temperature was coming down, then the antibiotics must be working. After Amy was moved upstairs Jack went down to the lab to donate blood, while Sam nursed the baby who had awakened during the move, letting everyone around her know she was not a happy camper. Even if Amy was disturbing some of the other patients, Sam and Jack didn't care. They were just relieved that her tiny lungs were still working!

The first thing Jack did when he got into the elevator was to open his cell phone and call Janet at the SGC. If there was something abnormal in Amy's blood that this doctor Nielsen couldn't explain, then Jack thought it sounded like something for Janet and her staff to figure out! When Jack told her what he knew about Amy's case, Janet had been shocked and had promised to phone Dr. Nielsen right away to confer with him. Before snapping his cell phone shut, he promised to give Sam and Amy a hug and kiss from her. Then he continued on to the small lab at one end of the first floor.

Sam had been asked to put on a disposable gown, hat and booties before being allowed to enter the room with Amy. Amy was actually in a small ward that was part of the maternity wing of the little three-story hospital. There were three other infants there as well, and the only thing separating this room from the nursery containing the newborns was a wall of windows. However the entrance to the nursery was through a door down the hall.

On the other side of the glass, Sam could see a nurse sitting at a desk, and another one attending to a baby at the changing station. Two of the children in the room with Amy were in cribs on wheels similar to Amy's, but the other one was being held by someone. The woman sat in a rocking chair in the far corner of the large room, slowly rocking a tiny baby that lay in her arms. Sam couldn't really see the tiny baby, for all of the blankets surrounding it. The woman wasn't wearing the blue, disposable clothing, so Sam guessed she was a hospital employee or volunteer.

"This your first?" the woman asked Sam, when she noticed Sam watching her.

"Yes. Her name's Naomi, but we call her Amy," she told the woman, figuring that this person might be the one taking care of her daughter. For some reason that Sam couldn't put into words, it was important that the woman think of Amy as not just another patient, but as a person!

"That's a pretty name. I have three daughters myself. This one here is four weeks old tomorrow. Elizabeth was a preemie, and she's still got a long way to go before I can take her home."

"Oh! I thought you worked here," Sam said, an astonished look on her face.

"Nope. Just come in every day to rock her and talk to her, so she don't forget her mama."

"That's nice! Do you live nearby then?" Sam asked, looking more closely at the woman's features and clothing. Sam guessed that the woman was about forty years old, maybe more, and her clothing...a plain, blue cotton dress, looked somewhat like the uniform the pediatric nurses wore. However, instead of the usual white nurses shoes, Sam could see now that she wore a pair of white and red sneakers.

"Ah yep! I live just up the road a piece in Brighton. We've got a small dairy farm."

"That sounds like a very peaceful existence," Sam commented, and she meant it. Sometimes she thought that a rural life would be a better way to raise a child these days, but she didn't imagine that her children would ever live any place but in the city. Just for a second Sam wondered what Jack would say if she asked him to give up his career and move to a dairy farm in Minnesota. He'd probably have a cow.

It was almost an hour before Jack got back to Sam and Amy. To Sam's dismay, Jack did not complain in the least when he was asked to put on the paper clothing. She could tell he didn't like wearing it...especially the shower cap sort of hat...but she thought he looked cute! So after she kissed him good-bye and gave Amy's tummy an affectionate pat, Sam went downstairs to the lab to donate blood.

While Sam was gone Jack got a phone call from Janet. "Yah, Janet! What's up?"

"Jack, I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should bring Amy back here as soon as she's well enough to travel."

"Why? What's wrong, Janet?"

"I don't know how to say this, except to just admit it. I must have missed something when we did Sam's blood work, after Jolinar." Jack hated the mere sound of that name! The incident had happened just a few weeks before Sam's transfer took effect, and it still gave Jack the cold sweats to think about the fact that Sam had almost died.

"What do you mean you missed something?" Jack asked calmly. Jack had always trusted Janet as a doctor and as a friend, and he wasn't about to begin doubting her now.

"I can't explain over the phone. Just don't worry, Colonel. I don't think it will hurt Amy, since Sam seems to be experiencing no ill effects. But I would feel better having the baby here. And we'll need to make sure any blood they've taken of hers and Sam's is destroyed," she concluded, hoping Jack would just do as she asked and not ask anymore questions.

"Okay. I'll take care of it. But aren't you and Daniel heading over to Deer Valley to go skiing in a couple of days?"

"Don't worry about us! We wouldn't think of leaving town when your baby is sick! What kind of friends do you think we are?" she said rhetorically.

"I think you're good friends, but Janet, you're also a woman who wants to get away with her guy. So thanks for being willing to give that up for our daughter. I'll talk to Dr. Nielsen and see how soon we can get outta here," he told her. He agreed with Janet; he would also feel better if Amy was in the infirmary at the SGC.

It was eight hours later before they were allowed to take Amy home, and even then Dr. Nielsen would release her only if they flew straight home. There could be no quick trip to the cabin to get their belongings. And even though there was something of real importance there, Jack understood the reason for the doctor's order, and he would comply.

Jack had demanded that the blood taken from Sam and Amy be destroyed, but the man wouldn't hear of it. So while Sam was feeding Amy her evening meal and the hospital was quiet, Jack had stealthily taken care of it, and then he had called Jeff and asked him to go over to the cabin and clean up after them, explaining how they'd had to take their sick daughter to the hospital. Of course the man had agreed and said he hoped the baby would be well soon.

Janet had arranged for a military helicopter to meet them at the airport in Denver and bring them directly to the mountain. And now, at three in the morning, they sat in the infirmary next to Amy's crib...one borrowed from the day care center. Jack had fallen asleep in his chair and was snoring loudly, his head tilted back at an obviously uncomfortable angle. Sam knew he was going to have a very sore neck, if he didn't move right away!

"Jack! Jack, honey, wake up!" Sam whispered, as she stood over him. She put her hand on the back of his head and lifted, hearing him groan.

"Ouch! Crap! Stiff neck," he complained as Sam slipped her hand down to his neck and began to squeeze and knead his muscles. "Mmmm, feels good, Sam. Come 'ere," he demanded, pulling her down onto his lap. She sat willingly, putting both arms around his neck. She normally wouldn't have responded this familiarly on base, but they were inside the privacy curtains in the infirmary, where the security camera could not get a shot of what they were doing.

Jack decided to take advantage of the situation and Sam's obviously amorous mood.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter twenty-one

He was going to make sure Sam got her Christmas surprise, but first he needed to deal with what appeared to be one horny Major ...not that he would mind, you understand.

"I'm sorry our Christmas vacation was ruined," Sam told him, her lips tickling his ear as her hot breath wafted across his cheek. Yep, she was in the mood alright, and Jack intended to take advantage of it, even if they were in the infirmary!

"It's not ruined! I'm still with my two favorite women," he assured her and he meant it. There was one thing that he regretted about ending their stay at the cabin. But Jack decided it was not too late to make this one a special Christmas for Sam, even if they weren't going to be alone at a cabin in the forest on Christmas Eve. He just needed a bit of time to arrange a few things, and he could still carry out most of his plan for tomorrow night.

"And I'm with my favorite man," Sam whispered before her lips found his. Jack, who was normally a take charge kind of guy, loved it when Sam initiated their love making. And unless he missed his guess, she was about to show him how a certain Major did things when she was in charge! Sam's arms encircled his neck, her fingers playing with wisps of his graying hair...her mouth moving to his ear where her teeth bit gently on his earlobe...and suddenly Jack could think of nothing else but the totally hot woman sitting on his lap. His worries about planning for Christmas Eve simply flew out of his mind!

No one was around, save for one nurse who was no doubt snoozing in the infirmary office. So no one was likely to see as Sam stood up and began to undress, while Jack just sat there on the armless chair, watching. His only thought, except for how hot this was, was that he wished they had a big bed...or any bed for that matter! Once Sam was totally naked, she stepped up to him and stood between his knees, her hands on his shoulders and her breasts jutting out enticingly toward his mouth. Jack tried frantically to reach a pert nipple with his lips, but each time he did, Sam swayed the opposite direction, chuckling deep in her throat.

"Okay, Sam, enough!" he growled as he reached out to grip her biceps. She balanced with both hands still on his shoulders and lifted her legs over his, until she was straddling his lap. Their lips met again, tongues fencing like two foils jabbing the other in any place they could reach. As her hands found his zipper and lowered it, she sucked on his tongue, letting him win this round and showing him what she wanted him to do to her with another part of his anatomy. His erection sprang up from the opening in his underwear, ready and eager for some Carter action! Sam wrapped the fingers of her right hand around it and squeezed none to gently. She knew how he liked to be held...tight, just like her body when it took him inside.

"Lift up," Jack urged her, and she did, using her long legs to support her over his weeping shaft. With one hand on his hardness, her thumb dragging just briefly over the opening to spread the moisture she found there, she guided him to her hot, steamy entrance, already slick with her arousal. She always got wet so quickly with Jack, that it amazed both of them, and now was certainly no different. Jack's hand latched onto her tits, his greedy mouth sucking in one sticky nipple, as Sam slammed down on his length.

She cried out as she felt his steely shaft stab her to her core. If that had been a knife, she thought, I would surely be dead now. But as it was, Sam was feeling more alive than ever as she rocked hips to the beat of their two hearts. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, as she hung onto his shoulders for dear life, fighting the dizzying affect he had on her each time they made love.

It was almost unthinkable to her, but somehow having this...having these intimate encounters with the man she loved...had replaced all the other goals she'd had in her life. Oh, sure, she still wanted to give Amy a good life, and that would always be important to her. But now a life where she raised Amy all alone was just not something she could ever be satisfied with...not now that she knew what it was like to be loved by Jack O'Neill! And that he loved her, she did not question. That she would always be enough for him was of concern to her, no matter how much she tried to put that fear out of her mind.

"Thinking too much," Jack murmured as his teeth sank into the muscle in her shoulder. Sam yelped and her body convulsed in his arms as he gently bit the soft skin and muscle. Her hands flew instinctively to the back of his head where they pulled him to her tighter, wanting to never let him go. Sam reciprocated his aggressive move by pivoting her hips once and then again, causing his erection to prod and poke her insides relentlessly, driving both of them crazy with need.

"Rub me, Jack," she hissed, expelling the breath she'd been holding as his rock-hard member massaged her tender passage. Sam fell back away from him, hanging onto his shoulders once again, her head tilted back. Her breasts bounced freely in front of him, issuing a renewed invitation for him to take what he needed. But he also needed to satisfy Sam. As his middle finger easily located her swollen clit, his mouth surrounded a dark pink areola and sucked it in, the tip of his tongue flicking the tiny bud repeatedly. Her milk came, and he slurped it greedily as his finger continued the deft manipulations of her sensitive nerve endings. Round and round went his finger and then over the top as he teased and tormented Sam's clitoris, while at the same time his mouth milked her full breast. Soon Sam was coming, her voice rising to a crescendo that Jack knew would be loud enough to rouse the nearby nursing staff, if he let her continue.

"Shhhh! Sam!" he hissed. Sam immediate clamped her mouth shut, her scream somewhat muffled as she came harder than she ever had in her life. She fell forward against his chest, barely a whimper escaping her full, pink lips. But her fingernails had dug into the skin of his shoulders right through his shirt, leaving proof of exactly how hard she had come.

And now it was Jack's turn. However, his legs were very uncomfortable. In fact they were pretty much asleep, and he really wished hr had a soft surface to lie on about now. "God, I'm just getting too old for this stuff!" he groused to himself. He would never say that to Sam, however. One of his greatest fears was that she would decide he was too old for her, and then she'd go out and find someone else...like that Baker guy. He had to think fast, while Sam was still in the mood!

"Sam, honey, get up and bend over the chair," he whispered, and Sam gently lifted off him, letting his erection slip out of her. Jack got up and stood behind her, looking down at her smooth, silky ass as she bent forward over the little chair. With one palm flat on the seat of the chair and the fingers of her other hand gripping the back of the chair, Sam prepared herself to accept her lover. She knew he could be very forceful...almost violent in their love making at times...and she really hoped this position would work for him. But obviously Jack had concerns.

"Wait! Slide the chair against the wall, so that it can't move." That done, she assumed the position once again and waited for Jack to make his entry into her fluttering, aching pussy. She didn't have long to wait. The soft swishing sound of his pants falling down around his ankles was quickly followed by his hand pushing her legs apart even more. Then his long fingers were spreading her swollen lips, and the large head of his fully engorged cock was slipping between them. Sam gasped as she felt the big, rounded head enter her tight opening. It was always the same each time they had intercourse...she felt like she was being stretched beyond her capabilities, but always it was worth the pain.

Leaning forward with both hands holding her hips in place, Jack furrowed a path into her, his long, hard tool plowing her fertile field. Jack's alpha brain proclaimed she was without a doubt the best screw he'd ever had! But his heart and the gentler side of him told his baser side to shut the fuck up! She wasn't just another woman...a good fuck...someone to use and then discard as he had other women in his life. Jack knew that he loved this woman...worshiped her...realized he couldn't live without her and the sanctuary her love offered him. He was well and truly fucked...in more ways than one...and he knew it. But he didn't care; he knew this was where he belonged...for always.

In no time at all he was coming and swearing inwardly that he hadn't been able to hold off long enough to make her come again. If Sam shared in his disappointment, she didn't reveal it. But Jack had to wonder; was he man enough for this much younger, vibrant, totally hot woman?

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter twenty-two

Amy's condition was improving rapidly, and by 12:00 on Christmas Eve, she was well enough to be released from he infirmary. But first her mom and dad had a meeting to attend. General Hammond had called Sam, Jack and Dr. Janet Frasier into the briefing room, before he left for a much-needed three days off, so that Dr. Frasier could fill them all in on what she knew.

"So you see, Sam, you were the one who passed on the naquadah to Amy's blood. I know that doesn't sound possible, but it is the only explanation I have! Apparently even the slightest trace in your DNA was enough for it to begin growing in her blood stream when she was conceived."

"You mean the same metal...er..element the stargate is made of?" Hammond asked, thinking that possibly he had missed something.

"Yes, sir, the same thing exactly!" Janet replied.

"But Janet, if it was passed on in my DNA, that would mean it's much more than an element! It's more like a living organism!" Sam cried. Janet nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Yes! You see that's why we missed it before in your blood tests! I am still amazed and grateful that Dr. Nielsen's staff picked up on it! Without him making us aware of it, there is no telling how long it might have been before we found out about it," Janet admitted.

"But is it harmful to either Sam or Amy?" Jack asked. That was the only thing he cared about, now that they knew exactly what the element was.

"As far as I can tell, Colonel, there seems to be no detrimental effects from the small amount present in both of their blood streams. Whether or not the amount could increase on its own, and exactly what that would mean to Sam and Amy, is another thing entirely," she admitted, and everyone looked concerned.

"Okay, and I assume your recommendation is that we keep a close watch on the amount in their blood?" George asked, wanting to speed things up a wee bit. His granddaughters were in a Christmas play today, and he damned well intended to be there...and on time!

"Yes, that would be my recommendation, Sir," Janet concluded. She looked at Sam and smiled. Her friend had certainly been through a lot lately. Janet wondered how much more Sam could take without going totally bonkers. She'd soon find out, she thought to herself.

"Okay, people, then I think we're done here for the next few days. Have a nice holiday all of you!" Hammond told them, as he quickly exited the room.

They all wished him a happy holiday, and then Janet hugged Sam and Jack before she left to find Daniel. She and her favorite archaeologist had managed to salvage part of their Christmas trip and were leaving for Deer Valley by plane in just two hours. At least she and Daniel would still have the remainder of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and one more day after that to spend alone...or as alone as two people could be at a very popular ski resort!

"Let's go get our daughter. I can't wait to get home, Jack," Sam enthused.

"Me too, but I've got something I have to do first. Your car is still here, so you can take it. I'll catch up with you later." Jack gave Sam a quick peck on the cheek and took off at a gallop. Sam watched him leave with a confused look on her face. She had sensed lately that Jack had something else up his sleeve. And just in case it involved a present for her, she decided to let him keep his secret...just this once! She went off to find Janet before getting Amy ready to go home. Sam wanted to know just exactly what Janet knew about Sandra Taylor's physical condition.

Jack almost skipped to the elevator, he was in such a good mood. Nothing, he thought, could ruin the high he was on right now! He was wrong. Just before the elevator doors closed, a petite red-head hopped into the elevator, carrying a sleeping child in her arms.

"Jack! Just the man I want to see," she said quickly, turning toward him.

"Sandy, I'm not prepared to talk about this with you right now. In fact, I don't want to talk to you about it until..." Jack stopped, realizing that even though it didn't record sound, there was a video camera in the elevator that was recording their every move...including those of their lips!

"Sandra, I will phone you...after the holidays...I promise," he said sternly but quietly. Sandra had a mischievous look on her face as she stepped closer to him. The only thing preventing their bodies from touching was her son.

"Don't get so defensive, Colonel. I have good news for you! Call it a Christmas present from me to you, if you like," she suggested with a Cheshire Cat grin.

"What?" He couldn't imagine what she could have to tell him that would be like a present, unless... Could it be this whole baby thing had been a false alarm?!

"I'm not pregnant after all!" Glory, hallelujah!, Jack shouted inside. "The test was wrong! So you're off the hook, flyboy! I'm sure your girlfriend will be happy to know it too. I could tell she was not very pleased with you in recent weeks, but I imagine, knowing you and your devilish ways, that you convinced her to forgive you, didn't you?"

"That's none of your business," Jack stated firmly, backing away from her. But she followed him, keeping her back to the camera. Her green eyes were like a neon sign blinking the words, "Warning! Alert!" as she insinuated her face as close to his as possible without squishing the child between them.

"Just remember, sugar...if Sam ever gets tired of you, my bed is always available," she hissed. And then the elevator doors opened and she turned and walked out. While she flirted with the security guard on the NORAD level, Jack quickly lunged into the elevator that would take him to the surface, feeling as though he had escaped the wrath of God...or at the very least, the wiles of a very appealing temptress!

Once he was in his truck, Jack drove like a bat out of hell to the nearest shopping mall in Colorado Springs, praying the store would still be open so he could replace the present he'd had to leave at the cabin. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't even told Jeff to make sure it was safely put away somewhere. Oh, well, he thought, if the cabin was burgled, he had insurance, although not enough to cover the cost of the item in question.

Jack literally ran into the mall, causing several shoppers to stare in shock at him. If he had been running the opposite direction, they probably would have stopped to phone the police, thinking he had just robbed one of the stores! Just as the employees were about to lower the metal security doors, Jack ducked under them and ran up to the counter, where the manager stood with an open mouth.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but we're closing," he said nervously.

"You cant! Not until I replace something I bought here last week!" After explaining what had happened, a very understanding and helpful manager told the rest of his staff that they could lock up and leave; he would take care of Colonel O'Neill all by himself.

A half hour later Sam arrived home. After putting Amy in her wind up swing and emptying the diaper bag of the dirty bottles and other things that needed to be washed, she began to put them into the dishwasher while she contemplated what to fix for dinner. The prospects were dim. It was not like they had much to eat in the house right now, since they'd planned to spend the holiday at Jack's cabin. Also she didn't really like to cook very much and therefore wasn't very good at it, and so Jack usually prepared their evening meals. Sam opened the pantry door and leaned heavily on it as she looked inside, weariness suddenly overtaking her. Her talk with Janet had certainly been enlightening in some ways, but unfortunately Janet hadn't been able to tell her anything about Sandra. In fact, Janet had been shocked when Sam told her that Sandra might be pregnant with Jack's baby. As she stared at the nearly bare pantry shelves, Sam tried to keep thoughts of the woman out of her mind, but it was just so damned hard to do!

Sam shut the door with a sigh and went to the refrigerator, removing a bottle of spring water. Then she went over to Amy's swing and wound the crank a few more times before tucking another blanket around her sleeping daughter. Amy had had it rough lately. For that matter, all three of them had. Sam sat down on the sofa and opened the bottle of water, taking three thirsty gulps. Then she put the bottle down on the coffee table and curled up on the sofa, covering herself with the throw that was always there for just such occasions. In no time Sam was fast asleep, forgetting all about her decision that it would be frozen dinners tonight for dinner.

Sam was dreaming that she and Jack were making sugar cookies in the kitchen, while a little, dark-haired girl played in front of a huge, brightly decorated Christmas tree. The smell of the cookies wafted through the house, their vanilla scent mingling with the familiar holiday scents of the pine tree in the corner, and the juniper firewood burning in the fireplace. Jack would frost a cookie, and then Sam would sprinkle on some sparkly, green or red sugar crystals, while Christmas carols and giggles from their daughter filled the two small rooms.

Gradually Sam began to awaken, her senses stirring as the pleasant smells aroused and teased her. Something was going on here! There were some wonderful Christmasy smells in the house, but Sam was quite certain that they must be in her imagination. She sat up slowly and lowered her legs to the floor, turning her head toward the kitchen behind her, where she heard sounds of paper crinkling and someone quietly humming in a low timber. To her surprise Jack was there, and on the kitchen counter in front of him were several, large pink boxes and two brown, paper grocery bags with handles. Sam had some idea what they contained, because she could see the logo on the outside of the bags. They were from a nearby, expensive, specialty food store that Sam loved. Normally she only went there when she could afford it and when the occasion called for it. Christmas Eve certainly was a special occasion, and so Sam was delighted that Jack had thought of shopping there! She was also relieved by his thoughtfulness; now they wouldn't have to eat frozen dinners on Christmas Eve.

'So this was what he'd wanted to do,' she thought with delight, as she stood up on slightly wobbly legs. The yummy smells drifted over to her, and her stomach rumbled. Gazing over at Jack and his purchases, she blinked her big, blue eyes in wonder, like a child staring at the presents under the Christmas tree.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter twenty-three

Waking up from her impromptu nap, Sam found Jack standing in her kitchen surrounded by bags and boxes. And the smells emanating from them was making her mouth water.

"Jack?" She still felt disoriented, like she always did when she fell asleep at an odd time of the day, and in places other than her bed.

"Ooops! Didn't mean to wake you. In fact, I was hoping you'd sleep a bit longer," he said. She was suddenly attracted to something out of the corner of her eye...something that was moving and glittering at the same time. To her complete amazement it was a seven-foot-tall, revolving, fully decorated Christmas tree that was now standing in the corner of her small family room! How on earth had Jack gotten that in here without waking her up!?

"Well, you're awake now, so come over here and see what I've got," he suggested, and Sam slowly stepped forward, almost bumping into the baby's swing. She looked down, and to her shock Amy was not in it!

"Where's Amy?" she asked, feeling even more disoriented. Even in her confused state, her mind hadn't forgotten the fact that Amy was still recovering from pneumonia. And apparently she had fallen asleep and had left the baby in the swing, for how long she had no idea! Some good mother she was turning out to be! But Jack showed no sign of concern as he looked at her with a Cheshire Cat grin on his handsome face.

"Amy's just fine. I put her to bed." He saw her eyes dart in the direction of the bedroom. She was clearly concerned. "She's okay, Sam. Really! Come 'ere!" he encouraged in a soft voice. Sam did as he asked, a large part of her curious to see what was in the boxes and bags. Besides she knew she could trust Jack to take good care of their daughter.

She stood staring down in wonder, while Jack removed things from the bags and set them on the counter. He had gotten them a Christmas Eve dinner! There was a baked ham, a turkey roast, two kinds of salads (potato and pasta), a variety of cheeses, olives and pickles, a big bag of her favorite bread rolls, potato chips (the greasy ones she rarely ate, but thoroughly loved), and for dessert there was cheesecake and chocolate layer cake too! There were no sugar cookies like in her dream, but these things were even better!

Sam darted around the kitchen counter to where Jack stood and threw her arms around his neck, giving him quite a start, along with a big kiss on the cheek.

"Whoa there! So you like?" he asked with a chuckle, holding her at arm's length. He knew she was pleased, but he still liked to hear her say so.

"I like very much indeed! I can understand how you got all of this other stuff in here without waking me...but the tree! How on earth did you do that?" she asked, looking over at the beautiful sight. Now that she really studied it, she could see it was decorated with dozens of lovely glass ornaments, shiny garland and hundreds of tiny, multi-colored, twinkling lights.

"Ahhh, yes, the tree. Had a little help from Santa with that one," he said with a twinkle in is eyes and a chuckle in his throat. Sam absolutely loved his deep-throated laugh. It made her smile.

"Santa, huh?" she chuckled. She knew when he wasn't going to tell her what she wanted to know, and she knew this was one of those times. Well, that was okay by her this time. Wasn't Christmas supposed to be magical?!

"Uh huh! St. Nick is a really close friend of mine. He also delivered some presents for you and Amy. They're over there under the tree." Sam pulled away from him and was about to make a dash for the tree, when he stopped her with one arm around her middle. "Ack! Not yet, my pretty miss! You have to be a good girl and do as you're told. First we eat, and then we open presents," Jack insisted.

"Okay. But you know, Jack, at my house when I was growing up, we always opened our presents on Christmas morning," Sam said with a smug grin, as she helped Jack dish out the food onto two dinner plates. She watched as he began to build a monstrously huge, ham sandwich, trying to hide her laugh when it almost toppled over onto the kitchen counter.

"That's because your house was last on Santa's route. I, on the other hand, got to open my presents on Christmas Eve, because we were one of the first houses on his route," he informed her proudly, a lop-sided grin on his face.

"Oh, it was, was it?" She giggled as she carried her plate to the small table in one corner of the room and sat down. Jack could be so cute sometimes! Well truth be known, he was cute most of the time, but she wasn't about to tell him that, for fear he would be insufferable to live with.

"Oh! We'll need something to drink!" she had totally forgotten about getting something to drink, and she doubted there was much in the refrigerator that would be good enough to accompany this fine meal.

"Ta dah!" Jack exclaimed, taking a bottle of sparkling grape juice out of the refrigerator. So Jack had even remembered her favorite holiday drink! He also took out a bottle of his favorite drink, Guinness. After popping the plastic cork on the bottle, he poured some into a big wine glass for her and joined her at the table. Jack sat down and held up the bottle of Guinness, his arm outstretched toward her. Sam held up her glass. They clinked bottle to glass and Jack made a toast.

"To our future...may we live a long and happy life together!"

"I will certainly drink to that, Jack," Sam said softly, staring into his coal black eyes. She loved him more and more each day, if that were possible! Sam decided to make a toast of her own. There was something she was fairly certain about, and she hoped telling him now would not prove to be premature. Sam raised her glass again and Jack tipped his head questioningly. But he held out his bottle and waited to hear what she had to say.

"May we be blessed with many children, beginning with Amy and the one I am fairly certain I am carrying at this very moment." Jack's mouth fell open. Then he sat his bottle down on the table and stood up, coming around the small table to bend over her. Sam tipped her head back and offered her lips to his.

"If I weren't so hungry for food just now, I would ravage you right here on this table, Major Carter," Jack growled. "Thank you, sweetheart. You have made me the happiest man alive!" he swore, and then he went and sat down again. "I have some news for you as well...not as good as yours, but... Sandra told me she's not pregnant after all," he said with his head down. He glanced up to see her reaction, shocked when Sam burst into tears. "Honey!" He got up and came over to her once again, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders and pulling her toward him, until her face was pressed into his waist.

"Thank God, Jack," she said quietly into his shirt, her tears wetting the fabric. She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with moisture. "I still wasn't sure how it would effect us. I wanted to believe you, when you said she wouldn't come between us, but..."

"I know. Now you don't have to worry...not about anything! I'm here with you and Amy, and it's the only place I want to be...for always!"

Eating dinner had taken much longer than either of them planned. And by the time they were finished, Amy was awake and crying to be fed. So while Sam went to the bedroom and took care of their daughter, Jack cleaned up the kitchen and prepared for the rest of Sam's surprise. Getting Thor to beam in the tree had been ingenious on his part, he thought with unusual pride. Now he needed to gather his wits before Sam got back, since he wanted what he had to say to come out right. He knew he wasn't at his best when it came to romantic, flowery language. Hell, he could barely put three words together most of the time. But he wanted to try his damnedest to make her understand...to make her see just how much he loved and needed her.

When Sam returned to the family room with Amy in her arms, and he saw that she had changed into a long, sheer, pink gown with a matching robe, Jack just stared. The sight of the two of them was almost too perfect...too lovely to be real! And the idea that they were all his...well, he still couldn't believe it!

Sam put Amy in the swing once again and tucked a clean comforter around her, while Jack turned the crank. The tick, tick of the mechanism heightened his jitters as he took Sam's hand in his and led her to sit with him on the sofa.

"I want to give you one of your gifts first," he said, deciding that if he didn't do this as soon as possible, he was gonna go bonkers for sure!

"Okay," Sam replied, nodding her head. She was nervous too, but for other reasons. Saying aloud that she might be pregnant had made it seem much more real to her. And after her recent scare, she worried that maybe she wasn't really cut out for motherhood. What if something happened to the children and Jack was not there to help? Jack moved and broke Sam's train of thought, shocking her back to the present.

"Stay here, and I'll get it." Jack got up and hurried to the tree, bending down to reach for a small box that was tucked underneath one of the larger ones. He handed it to Sam and sat down beside her once again. The box was a cube, five inches on all sides, and Sam had no idea what it could be. On top of the blood red, cardboard box was a gold bow with a tiny card slipped under the ribbon. Sam removed the card and read it. It said, "To my dearest, darling Sam...my destiny; Love always, Jack."

Tears formed on her lower lids when she read the message, blurring her vision as she opened the box. The top came off in her hand to reveal a smaller maroon-colored, velvet box tucked down inside the bottom half of the larger box, surrounded by gold fabric. The lining of the big box was gold silk, and it shone in the firelight like molten metal. Sam saw the shape and size of the small velvet box and suspected she knew what it held. Her eyes darted to Jack's and then down to the box once again. She dug in, trying to remove the small box from the golden nest, but it was stuck and wouldn't budge.

"Tight fit, like us," he said, upon seeing her frustration. As Sam blushed he took the larger box out of her hands, giving it a loud whack on the bottom with his hand as he turned it upside down. The smaller box fell out and landed in Sam's lap. She picked it up and turned it around, until the opening was toward her and the flat side was on the bottom. She held her breath. There was only one thing that came in boxes such as this one, and it was the one thing she wanted the most from Jack O'Neill...besides his heart of course.

"Open it," Jack urged eagerly. His eyes were on her face as she lifted the hinged lid, opening the small velvet box. There in the center was the most beautiful, most perfect diamond solitaire ring that Sam had ever seen! The stone, which appeared flawless, was set in five prongs atop a platinum band that had open, filigree work all down the sides. Looking at it from the side, the arches and curves reminded Sam of an ancient cathedral, the kind one sees in England, she thought, looking at it approvingly. Sam's eyes were as big as saucers as she removed the ring from the box, her hands shaking.

"I hope you like it. I'll take it back to get it engraved after Christmas. The first one I bought is at the cabin," he admitted. He watched as Sam's eyes opened wide in astonishment.

"I love it! But Jack, I can't believe you've had this planned all along!" She was amazed that she hadn't sensed something like this was going to happen. Janet had suggested that Jack might be preparing to propose, but she just didn't get that feeling from him. Wow, had she ever been wrong!

"Yah, I've been planning something like this for a while now. Had to change my plans of course, when the little one got sick," he told her, his head lowered. Jack stared at the ring nervously. He still had something he needed to say to her, and his stomach felt more jittery than the day he flew his first jet. Jack took the ring from her hand and got down on one knee in front of her. Then he cleared his throat and looked into her sapphire eyes. Their beauty almost made him forget what he wanted to say!

"Samantha Carter, I love you for your wisdom, your bravery, your intelligence, your beauty... Wow! Are you ever hot! Uh… And because you put up with me when no one else will." He sighed in exasperation. 'Someone just hit me upside the head!' he railed at himself. This was not coming out right. He was such an idiot! What if he said something to make her change her mind about him?

"Christ, I'm an idiot and I don't deserve you. I know that." Finding his courage he continued. "I have done a lot of stupid things, for which I am very, very sorry. I promise to stop being an ass and a fool. Keeping that in mind...Sam, will you please marry me?" he asked, tears gleaming in his dark eyes, as he held his breath and waited for her answer. He was terrified that he'd blown it, and she'd laugh in his face...or worse, tell him she needed time to think about it. If she was going to say 'no' eventually anyway, he'd rather she just spit it out now! Her answer was the sweetest music his ears had ever heard.

"Yes! Oh, yes, Jack! I'll marry you!" He slipped the ring onto the third finger on her left hand, and they kissed almost chastely. Then he sat down on the sofa next to her and pulled her into his arms. He was about to kiss her again, when Sam put a finger to his lower lip.

"I just have one question to ask you, Jack O'Neill. Why the hell did it take you so long to ask me?" They both laughed with joy and relief.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter twenty-four

Right now his life was as close to perfect as it could get, Jack thought as he sat on family room floor watching his baby daughter kick and wave her little arms. He had Amy and maybe a new baby on the way, and now he and Sam were planning their wedding. What more could a guy want!

Every few seconds Amy would coo or let out a screech that was enough to curl the hairs on his chest. Jack loved how excited she got, just from seeing the simplest things. He was a lot like that himself, he thought, amazed by how much of himself he saw in her. This morning Amy had taken a real liking to certain ornaments on the Christmas tree, so Jack had spread out a blanket on the floor where she could gaze up at them. He figured her interest in the sparkly objects was sort of like his interest in looking at the stars in the sky. Just then he heard the front door open and close, as Sam arrived home from the base.

Sam smiled when she saw Jack and Amy. The sight was just so damned sweet, that she knew she'd never get enough of seeing them together like this. She'd just been to visit Janet and the General too. Jan had given her a thumbs up on her condition, and the General had consented to her taking the rest of the week off. She didn't gave to return to work until January second, and neither did Jack!

"What have you two been up to?" she asked, placing her keys and wallet on the kitchen counter. She swept over to them and dropped down onto her knees, leaning over to place a kiss on Amy's forehead and then one on Jack's lips. She tasted like mint and coffee, and he suspected that the base was not the only place she'd been.

"We're stargazing...well, at least the stars on the Christmas tree, right Amy? I told her she has to be a lot bigger, before she can look through her ole Dad's telescope. Did you talk to Hammond?"

"Yes! General Hammond was very understanding. He said he'd see BOTH of us on January second, Jack." Jack was relieved to have all week off, because he really felt he needed some time to relax. The past few weeks had been very hard on his old heart, he thought as he ran a hand up and down Sam's cotton-covered arm. Of course he knew that most of his problems had been his own fault, and he vowed again, albeit silently, to never take Sam's love for granted again! And as for other women...they didn't even exist!

"Great! And...are you pregnant?" he asked hesitantly. If she wasn't pregnant, he was going to be very disappointed. Although it would mean they'd have to try harder, so maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if she wasn't.

"Yes! I'm six weeks along! Jan said everything looks completely normal. But just to be on the safe side, let's not tell anyone else yet, okay?" Jack's heart skipped a beat as he reached for her hand. He was positive his life couldn't get any better!

"Okay. Whatever you say," he agreed, although he really wanted to shout the news from the rooftop right now. "And what else have you been doing? Did I detect a Starbucks peppermint mocha on your breath?" he asked, knowing how much she loved the stuff.

"Yes, but it was decaffeinated," she assured him, squeezing his fingers. "Janet and I stopped at the one in the plaza. We wanted to go to that bridal shop."

"Oh? See anything you like?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Jack was at bit surprised to hear that Sam was looking at wedding gowns. Even though she had consented to marry him, she added that they probably shouldn't plan a big wedding. When he had asked why not, she had replied she just wasn't into all of that girlie stuff. So this was a real surprise! He wondered if Janet had influenced her in that direction. He certainly didn't mind if she had; he'd love to see Sam all dressed up like a wedding cake decoration, even if it meant dressing the part himself!

"Yes, actually I did! There are three dresses I like, but they're so expensive, Jack! And I really think I should be more sensible. You know Jack, we're going to need a bigger house. We barely fit in here as it is. But when the new baby comes, I don't know what we'll do!" She had been wanting to ask him about his house. Even though it was much larger than hers, he hadn't mentioned moving over there. She figured it might hold certain memories that he wanted to avoid, and so she had been reluctant to mention it. And even though they could sure use the money to buy another house, she didn't think it would be fair of her to ask him to sell the place.

Jack shared Sam's concerns, and he had some surprises for her which hadn't been far enough along to show her until just recently. He decided that now might be a good time to show her what he'd been doing behind her back. Then she could get on with planning their wedding without any worries, knowing they would have a house to live in that accommodated their growing family.

"Let's go out to dinner tonight. We can get Meredith to baby-sit," he suggested. Sam leaned over and kissed him.

"Now I know why I love you so much; you never insist on me cooking," she said with a laugh.

"If I did, we'd starve to death!" he joked, pulling her toward him, so that she fell onto her back between him and Amy.

"Oh, you mean man! I almost fell on her! You know, Jack, squishing a kid is not the standard of parenting I hope to achieve!" she giggled as Jack began to plunder her throat and jaw with kisses and nips. Meanwhile Amy squealed with delight and rolled over onto her side, clawing at her mother's back. "Jack, move her, before she gets crushed," Sam told him. Jack immediately broke off his attack on Sam's neck and peered over Sam's body at his daughter, who looked up at him and gurgled as if to say, "Hey Daddy, what about that dinner and the house?"

"Okay, I agree, Amy! That's enough fooling around...for now. I'll go call Meredith, while you get ready to go out!"

Less than an two hours later they were in Jack's truck, heading toward the center of town, or so Sam thought until Jack turned off the parkway and onto a familiar street.

"Jack, why did you turn here?" But Jack didn't reply. She knew that his old house sat at the end of the street, next to BLM forested land. Maybe he just wanted to check on the place, to make sure it hadn't been burgled, she thought as she watched the houses dwindle in number, until his house sat alone at the end of the street.

"What's going on?" she asked. The side of the house came into view first. There was a huge sheet of black, plastic tarp covering a large pile of what appeared to be lumber and other building materials which were stacked in the side yard next to the house. A thin layer of ice shone in the late afternoon sun where puddles had gathered in the dips of the plastic, and icicles dripped from the edges. Next to the tarp-covered pile was a small cement mixer, and a wheel barrow that was turned upside down. Jack steered the big truck into the driveway and stopped opposite the front porch.

"What's going on, Jack?" Sam asked again. She was beginning to formulate an idea in the back of her brain. It was pretty clear that Jack had been keeping secrets from her!

"Come on, you'll see," he said finally, as he got out of the truck. Sam opened her door and jumped down, not wanting to wait for him to help her. She landed on the gravel, right next to a pile of slush left over from last week's snow. Jack met her just as the truck door slammed shut behind her.

"What have you been up to, Jack O'Neill" she asked as he took her hand and led her up to the front door. Then he dropped her hand and selected what appeared to be a shiny, new brass key from his key ring, sticking it into the lock of the obviously new door. The upper half of the wooden door had leaded glass in it, and Sam was shocked when she recognized the designs as gate addresses, the central and largest one being the symbol for Earth. She barely had time to examine them before the door was pushed open, and Jack reached in to turn on the light switch. Then he stepped back out of her way.

"Your palace awaits, oh queen," Jack said, stepping back and bowing low. Sam's eyes lit up like Christmas candles as she stepped into the foyer. It was still almost as large and as spacious as before, but gone were all of the old wood trims and wall papers! The wood flooring had been replaced with large, creamy-white, ceramic tiles. To the right the hallway floor was completely bare of covering, so obviously some stages of the work were not complete yet.

"My God, Jack, what have you done!" Sam cried, delighted as she swooped into the kitchen. Then she stopped, totally overcome with shock at the new brushed steel appliances, almond and cocoa colored granite counter tops and rich, dark cherry cabinets. Even the sink, faucets and ceiling lights were new. Sam turned around and was shocked to find that the wall between the living room and dining room had been completely removed, making the living space seemed much larger.

"This is what they call a 'great room' he told her, sweeping his hand around the big space. "The new dining room is over there, to the right of the front door where the guest room used to be. They haven't taken down the wall separating it from the foyer yet. And wait until you see the nursery addition at the back and the huge master bathroom!" Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall toward the bedrooms, but Sam jerked him to a halt.

"Jack, how long have you been doing this?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Oh, since the day I found out you had Amy. I guess a part of me hoped that I could offer you a home, even when I didn't know Amy was mine. I loved her the minute I saw her, because she was yours. But I was hurt to think that someone else had made her...that some other guy had known you that intimately. Oh, I wasn't stupid; I knew you'd had other men in your life before me...and probably after me too."

"No, not after you. I've not slept with anyone but you since our first time together. You have a way of making women forget that other men even exist, Jack," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I feel sorry for them...those other women who've wanted you, because I've got you now, and I'm never letting you go!" They both knew she was thinking of Sandra.

"Good, because I don't want you to let me go! Now come on! There's a lot more I want you to see before it gets dark. Be careful where you step," he warned as he took her hand and led her to their daughter's new room. "I thought, since she was our first, that she should have her own room. The other two guest rooms have been left alone for now. We can redecorate them as we need them. Well, I guess that's going to be a lot sooner than I'd expected, but at least we'll have the space to expand!"

He still couldn't believe his good fortune. Jack watched as Sam turned around in the middle of the nursery, studying the space-theme wall paper and the wainscoting as though they were expensive jewels. She looked so cute in her tight, pink ski pants, white, pink and purple parka and purple cotton gloves. She had removed the hood of the jacket and her shoulder length hair was mussed and curling around her face in soft ringlets. Jack thought she looked like a child just come in from playing in the snow. Her eyes twinkled in her youthful face, and for a moment Jack wanted to pull her down amid the tools and rolls of carpet and make love to her right there on the bare wood floor. But he decided to wait until they got home later, where they could make love in bed. One last stop in the master bathroom and they could be on their way to dinner.

"Oh, my God! I can't believe the size of this tub, Jack!" Sam ran her hand along the smooth, marble surface and then over the curved, gleaming faucet.

"Yes, it's large enough for two," he bragged on his choice, "and it has a dozen of these little jets that massage tired muscles 'to soothe away the daily aches and pains of modern life,'" he said, quoting what the salesman had told him.

"I can't wait! But Jack, this must be costing you a small fortune!"

"The money doesn't matter, Sam. And it was just gathering dust in a college savings account for Charlie anyway. I'm sure he'd want his little sister to have a nice house to grow up in," he said with a tear in his eye. "Besides, I would spend every cent I had to make you and Amy happy...and our new baby too," he added as an afterthought. It was still hard getting used to being the father of one, and soon he would be the father of two. It was almost too much to wrap his mind around.

"That is such a sweet thought. I really wish I had known Charlie, but in a way I think that I do. I think he was a lot like his father...funny, kind, generous, and loving," she said, tears running freely down her pink cheeks.

It was cold in there, and Jack figured they had stayed long enough. He also didn't want to do or say anything to make Sam cry...not ever again.

"I don't know about me, but yes, Charlie was all those things. Come on now, that's enough maudlin talk to last me a lifetime." Jack wiped away her tears with his gloved hands, and then he kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Let's go get something to eat!" he shouted as he laced his fingers through hers and led her carefully out of the house.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty-five

New Year's Eve hadn't been high on his list of favorite holidays for many years...not since he had first married Sara. They used to go out and paint the town red during those early years, usually ending up at a friend's house, where they brought in the new year with songs and a bottle or three of champagne. Jack didn't believe he'd ever be that happy again, but here he was, actually looking forward to toasting in the new year. And he knew that if it wasn't for Sam and Amy, this year would have been just as gloomy as the past few years had been. Since his separation and divorce from Sara, Jack had dated several women and slept with many more. He had even spent New Year's Eve with one of them, staying at her apartment all night, only to sneak out before the sun rose, lest she try and talk him into staying for breakfast, or forever. He hadn't been ready to talk about forever with Sandra, but Sam was a different matter.

Sam had been slightly surprised that Jack was willing to dress up for Jan's party, since she knew how much he liked to be comfortable. But there he stood, dressed in an all black outfit that made her toes curl. The only thing missing, she thought lustfully, was a red ribbon tied in a bow across his broad chest! Sam tossed her lipstick into her evening bag and zipped it shut, assuming a pose in the bathroom doorway. Jack, who had been checking the knot in his tie in the dresser mirror, turned around and saw her, giving her a long wolf whistle.

"Man, you really clean up nice, Carter!" he said, his eyes sweeping from her long neck and semi-bare breasts down to her long, shapely legs. She was wearing a new dress that she had just bought the day before, due to Janet's urging. And now she was wondering if it was too much...or more accurately...too little.

"You don't think it's too low cut, do you? I mean General Hammond is going to be there. Do you think this dress is appropriate?" she asked, looking down at the v-shaped neckline of the little black dress. Jack stared at the slice of creamy skin between the black swaths of fabric like a man dying of starvation.

"Well, do you?" she asked him again. Clearly the dress was having an effect on Jack, which in some circumstances might be fine. She just wasn't sure she wanted it to have that effect on him in public. And what about the other men at the party! Yes, she was definitely having second thoughts about wearing it. "Maybe I should change," she suddenly remarked.

"You take that off now and you're getting fucked, and then we'll never even get to the party," he growled. Sam could see that he meant what he said, and so she grabbed up her long, black coat from the bed and let Jack help her into it. Soon they were cruising down the street in front of Janet's tiny bungalow, looking for a parking place.

"I wonder how many people she invited," Sam commented, as Jack looked for a space big enough for his truck. He finally decided to park on the front lawn, which was covered in an inch of snow and dead anyway. Janet could sue him if she didn't like it! He told Sam to stay put, and then he went around to her side of the truck and pulled her down into his arms, carrying her to the front porch before setting her on her feet. He rang the bell, but no one answered, although they could see and hear people inside. Next he tried the door handle. Finding it unlocked, Jack and Sam entered the house, stepping into a noisy living room filled with people. It was no wonder no one had heard the door bell; the place was packed!

"Hey, Jack!" Kawalsky shouted from nearby. He had his arm around a short brunette that Sam didn't recognize. Sam thought he was married, and his woman certainly didn't look like his wife!

"Hey, Charlie! Where's the beer?" Jack asked as he spotted the green bottle in Charlie's hand. Just then Janet came up to them, leading Daniel by the hand. He was wearing a dark suit, and Sam thought she'd never seen him look more handsome. She had to laugh when she saw that a red ribbon was tied around his neck, the bow bobbing under his Adam's apple as he laughed at something someone said. It seemed her friend Janet also thought a good-looking guy in a suit was like a present that had been gift wrapped!

"Daniel," Jack said companionably. He was in such a good mood that even Daniel could not ruin it. Sam let her coat slide down her arms and Jack caught it, handing it to Janet. Daniel took one look at Sam and almost choked on his beer.

"Wow, Sam! You look..." He didn't get a chance to finish before Janet interrupted him, giving him a disgruntled look.

"She looks sweet," Janet said, as she dug her fingernails into Daniel's forearm.

"Exactly what I was gonna say," he choked out. Sam blushed, thinking once again that she shouldn't have worn such a revealing dress. Janet winked at her to let her know they were okay, and then she marched off, carrying Sam's coat to her bedroom.

"You look very lovely tonight, Samantha Carter," Teal'c said, bowing his head. Sam was happy to see that a very enamored looking Dr. Darcy Moore was hanging on his arm. Darcy was one of her team of scientists, and Sam was well aware that the woman had had her eye on the big Jaffa for months. In fact Sam had told her to go for it, when she'd inquired whether or not Teal'c was free. Sam knew he wasn't exactly free, but his life was here on Earth now. He shouldn't be expected to live it alone, should he? So it was great to see them together.

"Thank you, Teal'c," Sam replied, smiling up at him. Then she looked over at Darcy and winked knowingly. Darcy smiled back. The crowd parted and two people swerved into view, the guy pulling the woman along behind him, as though she didn't really want to be there.

"Wow ish right! Major Carter, you look really great in that dresh...or out of it," Ferretti snickered, his words slurred. Hanging onto his arm was none other than Sandra Taylor, wearing an emerald green, full-skirted dress with a plunging neckline that showed off a lot of pale skin between her small, pert breasts. Sandra stared at Sam haughtily, at the same time giving Ferretti's arm a squeeze.

"Come on, honey. I wanna dance," the red-head whined, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. But he wasn't about to budge, not until he spoke to the Colonel about something he'd heard. "Not now, Sandy!" he told her rather rudely.

"So Jack, I heard you're gonna make a decent woman of the Major here," he commented, and everyone who heard him immediately stopped talking. No one had the nerve to ask Jack about his private life, unless they didn't value their lives very much. It had suddenly gone quiet in the whole house, and Sam could clearly hear music playing in the background. But all she wanted to hear right now was what Jack had to say to Ferretti. They hadn't told anyone but Janet, Daniel and Teal'c of their marriage plans yet, so she wondered who had told him.

"A decent woman! Boy, that's a laugh!" Sandra exclaimed, her loud voice carrying across the room. Heads turned to hear more. "She's already spread her legs for you, Jack. Why bother to marry her?"

"Shut your mouth, bitch!" Sam swore in a very uncharacteristic display of emotion.

"What did you say?" Sandra yelled.

"I said, shut your mouth, BITCH!" Silence settled over the small house, as word of the disagreement spread like wild fire. While most hadn't been surprised by Sandra's outburst or her choice of words, everyone had been shocked by Sam's response, but no one more than Jack.

"Honey, let's go in the other room. Come on, we'll get something to eat," Jack suggested calmly, pulling on Sam's forearm. But Sam pulled away from him. There was no way she was backing down from this woman!

"No, you go on. I'm staying here and setting her straight on a few things," she stated with an evil twinkle in her eyes. Jack did a double take but stayed where he was, giving Sam a look that said, 'Is this really my Carter, or her evil twin?'

"Oh? And what things would those be?" Sandra asked, handing her wine glass to Ferretti, who almost spilled it. He couldn't take his eyes off Sam, and neither could anyone else.

Ferretti had never seen Carter like this before, and neither had any of the other men in the room, including Jack. With her chromium blue eyes staring intensely enough to freeze the nuts off a prize bull; the wild, angry expression on her lovely face, instead of the usual unemotional mask of a soldier; and all that pristine-looking Carter flesh spilling out of the little black dress, the men were getting a show they never even dreamed of seeing! Erotic was a word much too tame for the feelings this argument was arousing in all of them. And unless someone stepped in to stop it, the two most notoriously hot looking babes on base were about to have a cat fight! Oh, happy day!

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter twenty-six

Janet was holding her very first New Year's Eve party, when suddenly things began to go wrong. And if someone didn't do something soon, there was going to be a cat fight in her living room! Janet gave a little shove in the middle of her lover's back and prayed that he would have a calming effect on the two women in question. After all, he was known as the SGC's best negotiator, wasn't he?!

"Sam, Sandra, please, this is supposed to be a time to let old grievances die and begin the new year fresh. Why don't we go sit down and talk about this," Daniel suggested, his hands held out in a gesture of peace. Janet linked her arm around one plump bicep and held on tight. She'd never thrown a party where two of the guests got into a fight before, so although this was disturbing in some ways, she felt that Sandra had coming what ever punishment Sam gave her. Janet just didn't want the dressing down to take place inside HER house!

"No, Daniel, I can handle this. There are things I need to say to her," Sam told him. "First of all, I want you to keep your hands off of my fiancé," Sam stated firmly, and many voices murmured at hearing the news that Sam and Jack were engaged. Sandra's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Fiancé? What did you do to make him ask you, get pregnant again?" the red-haired vixen asked spitefully.

"No, that would be YOUR tactic," Sam said. Several people could be heard choking back laughter, and one actually snickered out loud. That obviously sent Sandra over the edge, because she reached out and grabbed hold of Sam's right arm.

"Why.. you...lying...bitch! I did no such thing! I'll teach you to act like you're better than me!" Sandra railed, her long, red, finger nails digging into Sam's bicep. With her left arm Sam took a swing at Sandra and hit her square in the nose. The wounded woman reached up and gingerly touched her aching proboscis, her hand coming away covered with blood. She just stared at it for a moment, before reaching toward Sam with both hands.

"You self-righteous cunt, you broke my nose!" she yelled, just as Jack stepped over, slipping his body in between the two women. He held his arms out to keep Sandra from going around him, while he faced Sam. He knew that if this continued, Sam could take Sandra in a fight any day of the week, but even so, he didn't want Sam to lower herself to this woman's level.

"Okay, Major, that's enough! This stops now," Jack said in his deep, commanding voice. Sam just stared back at him, her eyes luminous and unblinking. Since he couldn't tell what she was thinking, he'd just have to hope the military-minded part of her would follow his order. Then he grabbed hold of Sandra's wrist and squeezed as he turned to lock eyes with her. "Don't make me remove you from the premises," Jack told her in his deep voice. She jerked her arm back, rubbing the place on her wrist where Jack had grabbed her. Then he looked at Ferretti.

"Get her outta here! If you can't drive, I'll call you a cab," Jack told his old friend. He liked the guy a lot, but sometimes he could be a real asshole. This was one of those times, so Jack left no room for argument in his tone of voice. And when anyone heard Jack speak like that, they just did as he said, no questions asked. Ferretti knew when Jack was really pissed at him, and so he turned to his inebriated date and wrapped an arm around her trembling body. Someone had handed Sandra a white hanky, which she currently had clutched to her nose.

"Yes, Sir! Come on, Sandy, let's go," Ferretti said, urging her toward the hallway. She gave Sam one more angry stare and left the room, letting Ferretti guide her to the bedroom to get her coat. Jack stepped up to Sam and stared into her fiery blue eyes. He had never seen her so angry before.

"You okay, Carter?" he asked, his head bent low, his lips near her ear. Everyone else had gone back to their conversations or at least they pretended to. Janet called out that there was plenty more food in the kitchen and people should come help themselves. Inwardly she was still laughing at the look of defeat on Sandra's face. That woman had it coming, and Janet hoped she had learned her lesson.

"Why did you stop me?" Sam asked him, keeping her voice quiet. Jack put one arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, kissing the side of her head just above her right ear.

"Because I didn't want you to fall for one of her tricks. She's not a lady like you. She would have loved to bring you down to her level, Sam. You're better than that. Besides, I was afraid you might kill her," he chuckled. "Then you'd get thrown in prison, and Amy and I would have to fend for ourselves," he said with a grin.

"You fend for yourself pretty good, Jack. ...and Amy too. You don't need me to take care of you."

"But we need you to love us, Sam. Come on, let's blow this place and go home. Seeing you with your hackles up like that was really hot, and now I've got this big problem," he whispered, dropping his eyes to his crotch. Sam's eyes followed his, a knowing smile playing around her red lips. "I wanna make love to my favorite girl," he crooned, his lips brushing the outer shell of her ear. Sam's head automatically nuzzled his , and a low moan escaped her lips. Jack could tell the idea of leaving the party was beginning to appeal to her. "Go tell Janet we're leaving," he suggested, his warm breath caressing her cheek.

"Okay. Give me five minutes," she replied, giving in to Jack's desire for her. In truth she was feeling very horny too. Had it been the altercation with Sandra that had turned her on, or was it just her over-active hormones? Sam wasn't sure which it was. But either way, a good, hard fuck from her man sounded very appealing just now!

But just then General Hammond arrived, and both Sam and Jack knew they needed to stay a while, just to be polite. After talking to him...or rather listening to him talk...about his granddaughters and all of their holiday activities, Jack and Sam decided to try out the dance floor. They were in the dining room where the table and chairs had been removed to make room for dancing. The stereo was playing one of Jack's favorite Anita Baker songs called "Caught Up In the Rapture", and Jack and Sam were swaying to the beat, wrapped in each other's arms. It was just so damned nice to be able to do this with her in public, Jack thought to himself as he moved his left hand down to the slope of her ass.

Just then a very wild-looking Sandra Taylor came barging into the small, crowded room, her crimson lipstick smeared across her cheek and black smudges of mascara under both eyes. Plus her nose was huge! Sandra shot directly at Jack and Sam, her hands clinched into fists. Ferretti was right behind her.

"I am not just some whore you can use and then dump like yesterday's garbage, Jack! You will pay for what you've done to me! Tyler is just as much your responsibility as Amy," she hissed before Ferretti pushed and shoved her out of the room and out of the house. Everyone made a path for them, and then they just stood there looking at Jack and Sam.

"She's full of shit, Sam," Jack said, but he could feel her pulling away from him. "Sam, you can't believe anything that woman says," he pointed out, but Sam didn't seem to be listening. With steely determination on her ashen face, Sam went to the bedroom and got her coat and purse. Jack followed her and grabbed her arm as she tried to put on her coat.

"Sam, don't do this!" he yelled angrily, his temper flaring. He kicked himself mentally. He was being an idiot once again. He knew that getting angry at her wasn't the best way for him to react, but he'd about had it with these female tantrums...both hers and Sandra's!

"Get out of my way, Jack," she said, her voice quavering. She was near to tears, and she really didn't want to loose it in front of him...not now when she felt like telling him off!

"Come on," he said, his voice calmer. He really wanted her to listen to him. And he knew that wouldn't happen if he lost his temper. "We'll go home where we can talk," he suggested. "Please, Sam, give me a chance to defend myself. We said we were going to communicate better, remember?" She knew he had a point and so she agreed, simply nodding her head. Then she let him help her with her coat.

Just as Janet climbed precariously onto a barstool and raised her hands to quiet everyone, Jack and Sam slipped out the front door. Daniel turned up the volume on the television. The program it was tuned to was the show at Time Square in New York City. Everyone stopped talking, their attention drawn to the shining ball that was beginning to drop, signaling the beginning of the new year.

Meanwhile Jack and Sam got into his truck and headed for home. The radio was on, and the local DJ was counting down the seconds until the new year. Jack couldn't stand this silence between them, or the thought that he wouldn't be kissing Sam to welcome in the new year. And so he turned the truck into a nearby parking lot and stopped.

"Sam, it's New Year's Eve for cryin out loud! Do you suppose, just for once, you could take me at my word? I really want to kiss you right now, baby," he admitted, reaching an arm out across the seat behind her head.

Looking into his black eyes, Sam felt her determination crumble in the face of his pleading expression. He was just so damned hard to resist! So she scooted over toward him and let him embrace her. She really didn't want to be mad at him or have doubts about him. Not now...not ever!

"I love you, honey, more than I know how to say," Jack told her, and then his lips were on hers, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth, and Sam forgot all about Sandra...at least for a few seconds. But then the woman's words slithered into Sam's conscious thoughts, causing her to pull away from him.

"You aren't really Tyler's father, are you?" she asked, tears pooling in her lower lids.

"No, there's no way I'm that kid's father! I didn't even sleep with her until after you left Colorado." Realizing how insensitive that sounded, he decided to try and explain further. "I missed you so damned much, Sam, and I needed someone! And she made herself convenient."

"Yes, I'm sure she did. So I wonder why she said that about Tyler, if it's not true?"

"Probably just to get this kind of reaction from you. She probably figured you'd be so pissed at me, that you would kick me out. You aren't going to kick me out, are you?" he asked, raising both eyebrows, his face the picture of innocence. Sam couldn't stay mad at him when he looked so damned cute. And now that she stopped to think about it, she was certain that Jack was right; Sandra was lying just to upset her. Sandra was so pathetic that Sam almost felt for sorry for the lying bitch...almost.

"No way, Jack! I'm keeping you...forever and for always! Now drive fast, 'cause I want to start the new year with a bang!" she said with a wicked laugh, as she snuggled closer to his side. Jack put the truck in gear and drove home as quickly as the slushy streets would permit.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter twenty-seven

Meredith and her boyfriend had obviously been surprised when Sam and Jack returned earlier than expected on New Year's Eve. Jack had raised his eyebrows at the boy's scared look, and Sam had simply winked at him as he paid the girl and bid the two teenagers good-night.

"Well, I guess we ruined someone's evening," he remarked as he pulled Sam into his arms. She slipped off her long coat and let it drop to the hall floor, unwilling to spend time just now to hang it up. It was clear what Jack had on his mind, and Sam wanted the same thing.

"Yes, I guess we did. I feel sorry for them," she said right before their lips met in a brief but passionate kiss. Jack pulled away first.

"Me too. They don't have the option of taking this to the bedroom like we do," he told her, tipping his head in that direction. Sam just nodded in agreement. She'd go anywhere with him...do it anywhere with him. Whatever he wanted, she was his. But the bedroom did sound like a good idea.

Once they were there Jack began to remove her clothing, the little black dress quickly deposited on the chair in the corner. Sam peered over his head as she held on to his shoulders, trying to keep her balance as he bent to remove her high heels. One silver shoe and then the other fell to the floor with a thump. Her eyes came to rest on Amy, sleeping peacefully in her crib just a few feet away. Sam was no longer uneasy about making love in the same room with her daughter, but she would still be glad when Amy had her own room.

"When will the house be finished?" she asked. The additional space would be so nice to have, and not just because Amy would have her own room.

"Two weeks or so. Not long now," he replied, as he lips brushed her ear. With his head next to hers Jack reached behind her and unfastened her bra. Sam let the thin scrap of lacy nylon fall from her chest to reveal her large, full breasts. The ache she felt reminded her that she really should express her milk before going to sleep. Maybe Jack could help her with that, she wondered wickedly. He did seem to enjoy the taste, and Amy never lacked for breast milk, so what harm could there be?

"Oh, God, please! I'm so full they hurt," she groaned as his lips found a sensitive nipple, drawing it inside his warm, wet mouth. As Jack began to suck hard at her breast, she felt the immediate release of her mother's milk. Sam's hands clasped the back of his head, drawing him as near to her as she possibly could, his nose pressed into her soft, yet firm flesh. When he suddenly let go, rivulets of thin, creamy-white liquid were left to trickle down her breast and onto her ribcage. They tickled and Sam giggled helplessly, as Jack backed her toward the bed. When her legs touched the mattress and she found herself falling, she let it happen, hitting the bed with a bounce and more deep-throated giggles.

After scrambling backward until her head found a pillow, Sam stared up at Jack through half-lidded eyes. "Hurry up and get over here," she said in her most commanding voice. Then she watched eagerly, as he removed his all-black outfit. He seemed to be taking an inordinate amount of time, but finally he reached for his shorts, which were enormously tented in front, showing off Jack's impressive erection.

Sam's mouth actually watered as she watched him slip his underwear down over his slim hips. They fell to the floor, and Jack put one knee on the bed. Then he stopped and stared at her, a little smile on his face. "What?" he asked, this smug smirk taunting her.

"Jaaack," she whined, "get over here right now, or I'm gonna bite that thing off!"

"You do that, and you won't be having any fun tonight or ever," he reminded her. Sam snorted in a very unladylike manner, as Jack crawled toward her.

"You're pretty smug, aren't you? Don't think I couldn't get someone else to please me, Jack," she said, as he straddled her hips. He didn't respond right away, but instead hooked his thumbs into the waist of her black bikini panties and pulled hard, tearing them off her body. "Hey! Those were expensive!" she cried as she heard and felt the material rip.

"That'll teach you to threaten me, you wicked wench!" he growled. Then he was on her, teeth and lips teasing and torturing her neck, before he attached his greedy mouth once more to her weeping breast. Jack's hands swept under her back, lifting her upper body and bringing her breast closer to his mouth as he leaned on both elbows. Her lower body was pinned beneath his, and she could feel the evidence of his desire for her sandwiched between them. He was hot and hard, and Sam had a sudden desire to take him into her mouth and satisfy him like she never had before.

"Jack, I wanna suck you," she purred, pushing on his shoulders. "Lay on your back." Jack let her nipple slip out of his mouth and fell over onto his back next to her. But when she moved to bend over him, he scooted lower on the bed and patted her thigh.

"Turn around and let me lick your pussy at the same time. Straddle my head," he instructed, and Sam immediately did as he asked.

They had done this before, but usually he'd been on top. This time it was Sam who bent over him, her mouth poised over his manhood, while her pussy was positioned directly above his face. Jack dug in, holding her thighs still as he buried his tongue in between her folds. At the same time Sam's lips surrounded the head of his cock, bathing the little slit with her tongue before letting him slip out of her mouth with a plop. Then she opened her mouth really wide and enveloped him, accepting as much of his nine inches as she could, the glans hitting her in the back of the throat. As she lifted up, letting almost his entire length slide out of her mouth, she wrapped her fingers around him and slid her hand down the shaft. When she got to the base, she gave his balls a squeeze with her other hand. Then she sucked him back inside her mouth and repeated the whole process over and over again, until Jack was seeing double.

He had been given head by many women in the past, and even though Sam was relatively new at it, she was a fast learner. She was also damned good!

Jack was no slouch when it came to eating pussy. In fact, as far as Sam was concerned he was the best! He had a way of using is long tongue that ignited her almost instantly. First he swirled it around just inside her opening. Then he'd withdraw it and begin giving her lollipop licks from her perineum all the way up to her clit. After that he'd blow his warm breath on her swollen lips, and then he'd stop and use just the tip of his tongue to circle around her most sensitive spot. And then he'd do it all over again, teasing her until she thought she'd go mad.

Jack could feel the fire beginning to burn in his balls as Sam brought him closer and closer to orgasm. And even though she was desperate for completion herself, he knew she would work him furiously and with great determination until he came, because that's the kind of person she was. Jack knew that about her. He knew that if he didn't stop her soon, he would come before she did, and that simply wasn't acceptable.

He pulled his face from between her swollen lips and begged her to stop. "Sam, honey, wait! I'm gonna come," he rasped, as the cool air hit his cock and the sudden sensation almost ended his attempt at control. "You getting close?" he asked, praying she'd say she was.

"Mmmmm," she hummed, not really an answer. And then she was back at it once again, sucking him for all she was worth. The woman was a prize...unselfish to a fault when they made love.

But Jack knew what she liked and what made her come, and soon her thighs began to shake as she lowered her body closer to his face, as though she wanted him not just to suck her clit, but to swallow her whole. Even though he had little room in which to maneuver, Jack somehow managed to insert two fingers in her tight hole, aiming them directly at her G-spot. The intrusion made her body convulse above him. He felt her teeth graze his erection, and for a second he was afraid she might bite his cock off after all!

Just as he felt Sam's vaginal muscles begin to flutter around his fingers, he realized he could hold off no longer. Sam's back arched as her climax tore through her, and Jack let go of his control, releasing a steady torrent of seed down her throat. Their bodies climaxed in unison, their mingled cries breaking the silence of the small house. Sam's upper body collapsed onto his thighs, her eyes glassy and a little trickle of creamy white cum dripping from the corners of her mouth. Jack lowered her hips to his chest and gave her an affectionate pat on the butt as he dropped his head back to the mattress.

Sam gradually roused herself and rolled off of Jack's hard body, landing on her back on the bed. Then she turned around and crawled forward until her head was level with his shoulder. Sighing he drew her into his arms.

"Happy New Year, Jack," she said quietly, as she pulled the covers up over both of them.

"Happy New Year, Sam. I hope this is the first of many New Year's Eves spent just like this," he added. He would never betray Sam again. He could only hope that she understood what he was trying to say.

Sam turned her face up and kissed him on the cheek. "Well said, Jack," she told him, smiling. For once her man of few words had said just enough.

THE END

AN: Happy Holidays! I hope you have enjoyed my story. Please watch my MarieCaron .com website for news about my newest e-book, "What the Heart Wants", to be released in early February 2014. The characters were inspired by Jack and Sam, our favorite heroes. Thanx for reading and stay safe. XXX ziva


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